's
figger all the little details."

They talked and planned, though in truth it was Euchre who planned,
Duane who listened and agreed. While awaiting the return of Bland and
his lieutenants it would be well for Duane to grow friendly with the
other outlaws, to sit in a few games of monte, or show a willingness
to spend a little money. The two schemers were to call upon Mrs. Bland
every day--Euchre to carry messages of cheer and warning to Jennie,
Duane to blind the elder woman at any cost. These preliminaries decided
upon, they proceeded to put them into action.

No hard task was it to win the friendship of the most of those
good-natured outlaws. They were used to men of a better order than
theirs coming to the hidden camps and sooner or later sinking to their
lower level. Besides, with them everything was easy come, easy go. That
was why life itself went on so carelessly and usually ended so cheaply.
There were men among them, however, that made Duane feel that terrible
inexplicable wrath rise in his breast. He could not bear to be near
them. He could not trust himself. He felt that any instant a word,
a deed, something might call too deeply to that instinct he could no
longer control. Jackrabbit Benson was one of these men. Because of
him and other outlaws of his ilk Duane could scarcely ever forget
the reality of things. This was a hidden valley, a robbers' den, a
rendezvous for murderers, a wild place stained red by deeds of wild men.
And because of that there was always a charged atmosphere. The merriest,
idlest, most careless moment might in the flash of an eye end in
ruthless and tragic action. In an assemblage of desperate characters it
could not be otherwise. The terrible thing that Duane sensed was this.
The valley was beautiful, sunny, fragrant, a place to dream in; the
mountaintops were always blue or gold rimmed, the yellow river slid
slowly and majestically by, the birds sang in the cottonwoods, the
horses grazed and pranced, children played and women longed for love,
freedom, happiness; the outlaws rode in and out, free with money and
speech; they lived comfortably in their adobe homes, smoked, gambled,
talked, laughed, whiled away the idle hours--and all the time life there
was wrong, and the simplest moment might be precipitated by that evil
into the most awful of contrasts. Duane felt rather than saw a dark,
brooding shadow over the valley.

Then, without any solicitation or encouragement from Duane