antly brought his hands from behind his back. He held
out a poster.

"His horse has got CC2 for a brand, just like it says in this bill Ed
brought from town!" he cried. "He's The Coyote, all right. But I won't
tell," he added quickly, looking at Rathburn.

The man avoided the girl's eyes. The boy laid the poster on the table
where she could read it again, word for word.

"Tall--light in complexion--gray or blue eyes--good teeth--horse
branded CC2--dangerous----"

And this man was tall and blond, with gray eyes. Five hundred dollars
reward!

"I won't tell anybody you've been here," the boy continued. "We won't
tell, will we, sis?" He looked at the girl imploringly.

"My brother Ed says what you want you take," said the boy, gazing at
the man in admiration. "An' he says you don't rob anybody that can't
afford it! He says the banks are insured an' you've been a friend to
more'n one that's just gettin' a start in the cattle. I won't tell
anybody you've been here, an' I won't let sis tell anybody, either!"

Rathburn was smiling wistfully. "Always tell the truth, sonny," he
said in a low voice. "Don't forget that. I wouldn't want you to lie
for me. Any man that would want you to lie for him wouldn't be a man
a-tall, son. See?"

"But old Brown, the judge, or the sheriff might come along an' want to
know if you'd been here!" said the boy in breathless excitement.

"Then tell 'em the truth," said Rathburn smilingly. "Tell 'em a man
with a horse branded CC2 was here an' kidded you about your freckles,
had something to eat, an' rode away. Don't lie, sonny, no matter what
happens."

The girl took a step toward the table. "You--_are_--The Coyote?" she
asked in a whisper.

"My name is Rathburn, miss," he replied cheerfully. "In some ways I'm
a lot like the man described in that reward notice. An' I'm riding a
dun-colored horse branded CC2. I don't like that monicker, Coyote, or
I might 'fess up to it."

"Then--if you're him--you're an outlaw!" she stammered.

Rathburn's dreamy look shifted to the boy who was staring at him.

"You'll grow up to be quite a man, son," he said in a fatherly tone.
"Those freckles mean a tough skin. A weak sort of skin tans quick an'
the toughest just sunburns. You're halfway between. That's all right
for freckles; but it don't go in life. It's best to be on one side or
the other, an' the right side's the best for most folks."

He rose and went for his hat. Then he extracted a roll of bi