hank you; but you've taken a
weight off my mind."

"Ther' ain't no thanks, missie. I figger as a doc. is an a'mighty
ne'sary thing when a feller's sick," observed Arizona, quietly.

"Spec'ally at night time," put in Joe, seriously.

"I'll get back to my patient," Diane said abruptly. And as she flitted
away to the house the men heard the heavy tread of Jake coming round
the lean-to, and understood the hastiness of her retreat.

The next minute the foreman had summoned Arizona to the rancher's
presence.

Diane had done well to enlist the help of these men. Without some aid
it would have been impossible to look after Tresler. She feared her
father, as well she might. What would be easier than for him to get
her out of the way, and then have Jake deport her patient to the
bunkhouse? Doc. Osler's threats of life or death had been exaggerated
to help her carry her point, she knew, and, also, she fully realized
that her father understood this was so. He was not the man to be
scared of any bogey like that. Besides, his parting words, so gentle,
so kindly; she had grown to distrust him most in his gentler moods.

All that day, assisted by Joe, she watched at the sickbed. Tresler was
never left for long; and when it was absolutely necessary to leave him
Joe's sharp ears were straining for any alarming sound, and,
unauthorized by Diane, his eyes were on the hallway, watching the
rancher's bedroom door. He had no compunction in admitting his fears
to himself. He had wormed the whole story of the rancher's anger at
Tresler's presence in the house from his young mistress, and, also, he
understood that Diane's engagement to her patient was known to her
father. Therefore his lynx eyes never closed, his keen ears were ever
strained, and he moved about with a gun in his hip-pocket. He didn't
know what might happen, but his movements conveyed his opinion of the
man with whom they had to deal. Arizona had been despatched with Fyles
to Willow Bluff. There were wounded men there to be identified, and
the officer wanted his aid in examining the battlefield.

"But he'll git around to-night," Joe had said, after bringing the news
to Diane. "Sure--sure as pinewood breeds bugs."

And the girl was satisfied. The day wore on, and night brought no
fresh anxiety. Diane was at her post, Joe was alert, and though no one
had heard of Arizona's return, twice, in the small hours, the choreman
heard a footfall outside his lean-to, and he made a s