turtle-like face, Slade the
cattle king--the killer. Billie Warren stood between the two Epperson
girls whose faces betrayed the taint of Indian blood, an arm about the
shoulders of each of them. The sheriff who had said that men must
humor womenfolks was leaning against the bar. Deane turned to Harris
but found him looking off across the room. He turned his own eyes that
way and glimpsed a dark man with an overlong, thin face and a set bleak
stare. Morrow had just come in.

Five minutes later Harris stepped out the back door and Deane followed
him. At the sound of a footfall behind him Harris whirled on his heel
and when he confronted Deane the dim light from the door glinted on
something in his hand.

"Sho," Harris deprecated. "I'm getting spooky. I thought it was some
one else." He slipped the gun back in its holster. "There's one or
two that would like right well to run across me from behind."

"I followed you out to tell you it was decent of you to insist that I
stay over a few days," Deane said. "It was a white thing to do,
considering that we both want the same thing."

"We both want her to have what's best for her," Harris said. "And I
don't know as she could do any better than to take up with you."

"It may sound rather trite--coming after that," Deane said. "But
anyway, I'll have to say that I feel the same way about you."

"Then, if we're both right in our estimates, why she can't go very far
wrong, either way she turns," Harris said. "So I reckon we're both
content."

Harris moved on and motioned Deane to accompany him.

"I thought I glimpsed a man I knew a few minutes back," Harris said.
"I'd like right well to have a talk with him."

They wandered completely round the post and looked in the shadows of
the outbuildings but could find no trace of life.

"Likely I was mistaken," Harris said at last. "I saw a face just
outside the door. He was more or less on my mind--the party I thought
it was. Some one else I expect, and he's gone inside."

They returned to the hall. Morrow stood with two Halfmoon D men at the
end of the bar. Harris motioned him aside and Morrow withdrew from the
others.

"This is pretty far north for you, Morrow," Harris suggested.

"Is there any one restricting my range?" Morrow demanded. "If there is
I'd like to know."

"Then I'll tell you," Harris answered. "The road is open--as long as
you keep on the road. Any time you stray a foot off the beaten