," she cried passionately.

Something terrible seemed to crash inside Pan. Catastrophe! It was
here. His mother's dark eyes held love, pity, and passion, which last
was not for him.

"Mother, go home at once," he said swiftly. "Tell Dad to rush buying
those wagons. You and Alice pack. We shake the dust of this damned
town. Don't worry. Lucy will leave with _us_!"

Then Pan broke into long springy strides, almost a run. Indeed Blinky
had to run to keep up with him. "I told you, pard," said his comrade.
huskily. "Hell to pay! ---- ---- the luck!"

Pan had only one conscious thought--to see Lucy. All else seemed
damming behind flood gates.

People rushed into the street to get out of the way of the cowboys.
Others stared and made gestures. Booted men on the porch of the Yellow
Mine stamped noisily as they trooped to get inside. Voices of alarm
and mirth rang out. Pan took only a fleeting glance into the wide
doorway. He saw nothing, thought nothing. His stride quickened as he
passed Black's store, where more men crowded to get inside.

"Save your--wind, pard," warned Blinky. "You might--need it."

They reached the end of the street and across the wide square stood the
outgoing stage, before the express office. There was no driver on the
front seat. Smith, the agent, was emerging from the office with
mailbags.

"Slow up, pard," whispered Blinky, at Pan's elbow.

Pan did as he was advised, though his stride still retained speed.
Impossible to go slowly! There were passengers in the stagecoach.
When Pan reached the middle of the street he saw the gleam of golden
hair that he knew. Lucy! Her back was turned to him. And as he
recognized her, realized he had found her, there burst forth in his
mind a thundering clamor of questioning voices.

A few more strides took him round the stage. Men backed away from him.
The door was open.

"_Lucy_!" he called, and his voice seemed to come piercingly from a
far-off place.

She turned a strange face, but he knew her eyes, saw the swift
transition, the darkening, widening. How white she turned! What was
this! Agony in recognition! A swift unuttered blaze of joy that
changed terror. He saw her lips frame his name, but no sound came.

"_Lucy_!" he cried. "What does this mean? Where are you going?"

She could not speak. But under her pallor the red of shame began to
burn. Pan saw it, and he recognized it. Mutely he gazed at the girl
as her h