pierced the silence. A rider was mounting out there for
some reason. With my life at stake I grasped all the sweetness of that
situation. Sally stirred in my arms, raised a red, tear-stained yet
happy face, and tried to smile. "It isn't any time to cry," she
whispered. "But I had to. You can't understand what it made me feel to
learn you're no drunkard, no desperado, but a _man_--a man like that
Ranger!" Very sweetly and seriously she kissed me again. "Russ, if I
didn't honestly and truly love you before, I do now."

Then she stood up and faced me with the fire and intelligence of a
woman in her eyes. "Tell me now. You were spying on my uncle?"

Briefly I told her what had happened before I entered her room, not
omitting a terse word as to the character of the men I had watched.

"My God! So it's Uncle Roger! I knew something was very wrong here--with
him, with the place, the people. And right off I hated George Wright.
Russ, does Diane know?"

"She knows something. I haven't any idea how much."

"This explains her appeal to Steele. Oh, it'll kill her! You don't know
how proud, how good Diane is. Oh, it'll kill her!"

"Sally, she's no baby. She's got sand, that girl--"

The sound of soft steps somewhere near distracted my attention, reminded
me of my peril, and now, what counted more with me, made clear the
probability of being discovered in Sally's room. "I'll have to get out
of here," I whispered.

"Wait," she replied, detaining me. "Didn't you say they were hunting for
you?"

"They sure are," I returned grimly.

"Oh! Then you mustn't go. They might shoot you before you got away.
Stay. If we hear them you can hide under my bed. I'll turn out the
light. I'll meet them at the door. You can trust me. Stay, Russ. Wait
till all quiets down, if we have to wait till morning. Then you can slip
out."

"Sally, I oughtn't to stay. I don't want to--I won't," I replied
perplexed and stubborn.

"But you must. It's the only safe way. They won't come here."

"Suppose they should? It's an even chance Sampson'll search every room
and corner in this old house. If they found me here I couldn't start a
fight. You might be hurt. Then--the fact of my being here--" I did not
finish what I meant, but instead made a step toward the door.

Sally was on me like a little whirlwind, white of face and dark of eye,
with a resoluteness I could not have deemed her capable of. She was as
strong and supple as a panther, too. But she nee