Judith, reading his thought, turned up her nose at him and, seeking to
keep her feet hidden as she walked by sagging a little at the knees,
went to the door. Turning there, she saw in Lee's eyes the hint of a
smile, a very approving, admiring smile.

"Impudent!" she cried within herself. Looking very tiny, her knees
bent so that her robe might sweep the floor, she continued with all
possible dignity to the hallway. Once there, she ran for her room, her
gown fluttering widely about her. In her room, though she dressed
hurriedly, she still took time for a long and critical examination of
two rows of little pink toes.

"Just the same," she said to the flushed Judith in the mirror, "they
are very nice feet--Bud Lee, I'd just like to make you squirm one of
these days. You're altogether too--too--oh, scat, Judy. What's the
matter with you?"

In less than half an hour Doc Tripp, showing every sign of a hurried
toilet, rode into the courtyard. He came swiftly into the office, bag
in hand. Judith, waiting impatiently for him, lost no words in telling
him her suspicions. And Doc Tripp, hearing her out, swore softly and
fluently, briefly asking her pardon when he had done.

"I'm a jackass," he said fervently. "I always knew I was a fool, but I
didn't know that I was an idiot! Why, Judy, those damned pigeons have
been sailing all over the ranch, billing and cooing and picking up and
toting cholera germs. Any fool can see it now. I might have known
something was up when Trevors bought the infernal things. It's as
simple as one, two, three. Now this other jasper, pretending to look
for a job, brings on some more of them, so that the disease will spread
the faster. Let me get my two hands on him, Judith. For the love of
God, lead me to him."

But, instead, she led him to the dozen white pigeons which Carson
brought in.

Tripp, all business again, improvised his laboratory, washed the
pigeons' feet, made his test, with never another curse to tell of his
progress. Judith left him and went into the courtyard, where, in a
moment, Carson came to her.

"You better tell me what's up," he said sharply. "I know something is.
That new guy that just come in is darned hard to keep. Just as quick
as I grab a shotgun an' go to shooting pigeons he moseys out to the
corrals an' starts saddling his horse."

"Don't let him go!"

Carson smiled a dry, mirthless smile.

"Bud is looking out for him right now," he explained