rs to good fortune.
Since this could not be, he gave her what he had--a warm fellow-feeling
because of the troubles that worried her.

He found June waiting at their usual place of meeting. Pete Tolliver's
forty-four hung in a scabbard along the girl's thigh. Bob remembered that
she had spoken of seeing a rattlesnake on the trail yesterday.

"'Lo, boy," she called.

"'Lo, June. I met yore friend."

"What friend?"

"Jake Houck. He was down at the camp for dinner to-day--came in with the
boss."

"He's no friend of mine," she said sulkily.

"Don't blame you a bit. Mr. Houck looks like one hard citizen. I'd hate
to cross him."

"He's as tough as an old range bull. No matter what you say or do you
can't faze him," she replied wearily.

"You still hate him?"

"More 'n ever. Most o' the time. He just laughs. He's bound an'
determined to marry me whether or not. He will, too."

Bob looked at her, surprised. It was the first time she had ever admitted
as much. June's slim body was packed with a pantherish resilience. Her
spirit bristled with courage. What had come over her?

"He won't if you don't want him to."

"Won't he?" June was lying on a warm flat rock. She had been digging up
dirt at the edge of it with a bit of broken stick. Now she looked up at
him with the scorn of an experience she felt to be infinitely more
extensive than his. "A lot you know about it."

"How can he? If you an' Mr. Tolliver don't want him to."

"He just will."

"But, June, that don't listen reasonable to me. He's got you buffaloed.
If you make up yore mind not to have him--"

"I didn't say I'd made up my mind not to have him. I said I hated him,"
she corrected.

"Well, you wouldn't marry a fellow you hated," he argued.

"How do you know so much about it, Bob Dillon?" she flared.

"I use what brains I've got. Women don't do things like that. There
wouldn't be any sense in it."

"Well, I'll prob'ly do it. Then you'll know I haven't got a lick o'
sense," she retorted sullenly.

"You ce'tainly beat my time," he said, puzzled. "I've heard you say more
mean things about him than everybody else put together, an' now you're
talkin' about marryin' him. Why? What's yore reason?"

She looked up. For a moment the morose eyes met his. They told nothing
except a dogged intention not to tell anything.

But the boy was no fool. He had thought a good deal about the lonely life
she and her father led. Many men came into this country thr