enson
fetched the girl back. She was more dead than alive. But it turned out
she was only starved an' scared half to death. She hadn't been harmed.
I reckon she was then about fourteen years old. Benson's idee, he said,
was to use her in his den sellin' drinks an' the like. But I never
went much on Jackrabbit's word. Bland seen the kid right off and took
her--bought her from Benson. You can gamble Bland didn't do thet from
notions of chivalry. I ain't gainsayin, however, but thet Jennie was
better off with Kate Bland. She's been hard on Jennie, but she's kept
Bland an' the other men from treatin' the kid shameful. Late Jennie has
growed into an all-fired pretty girl, an' Kate is powerful jealous of
her. I can see hell brewin' over there in Bland's cabin. Thet's why
I wish you'd come over with me. Bland's hardly ever home. His wife's
invited you. Shore, if she gets sweet on you, as she has on--Wal, thet
'd complicate matters. But you'd get to see Jennie, an' mebbe you could
help her. Mind, I ain't hintin' nothin'. I'm just wantin' to put her
in your way. You're a man an' can think fer yourself. I had a baby girl
once, an' if she'd lived she be as big as Jennie now, an', by Gawd, I
wouldn't want her here in Bland's camp."

"I'll go, Euchre. Take me over," replied Duane. He felt Euchre's eyes
upon him. The old outlaw, however, had no more to say.

In the afternoon Euchre set off with Duane, and soon they reached
Bland's cabin. Duane remembered it as the one where he had seen the
pretty woman watching him ride by. He could not recall what she looked
like. The cabin was the same as the other adobe structures in the
valley, but it was larger and pleasantly located rather high up in a
grove of cottonwoods. In the windows and upon the porch were evidences
of a woman's hand. Through the open door Duane caught a glimpse of
bright Mexican blankets and rugs.

Euchre knocked upon the side of the door.

"Is that you, Euchre?" asked a girl's voice, low, hesitatingly. The tone
of it, rather deep and with a note of fear, struck Duane. He wondered
what she would be like.

"Yes, it's me, Jennie. Where's Mrs. Bland?" answered Euchre.

"She went over to Deger's. There's somebody sick," replied the girl.

Euchre turned and whispered something about luck. The snap of the
outlaw's eyes was added significance to Duane.

"Jennie, come out or let us come in. Here's the young man I was tellin'
you about," Euchre said.

"Oh, I can't! I l