ve it by going away for six
months--or three."

He shook his head.

"Not that," he said. "I've told you I was sewed up in a right peculiar
way myself--which wouldn't matter a damn if it wasn't for this. I'd
have tossed it off in a second if the girl on the Three Bar had turned
out to be any other than you. Now I'm going to see it through. The
Three Bar is going under--the brand both our folks helped to
found--unless some one pulls it out of the hole. Believe me if you can
and if you can't--why, you know that one remark about my being
unwelcome here will clear the road for you, like I mentioned a few
minutes back."

He turned away without touching her and she had not moved when the door
closed behind him.

An hour past noon on the following day a drove of horses appeared at
the lower extremity of the valley and swept on toward the ranch. As
Harris threw open the gates of the big corral he saw her standing in
the door of the cookhouse watching the oncoming drove. Riders flanked
the bunch well out to each side to steady it. There was a roar of
hoofs and a stifling cloud of dust as three hundred half-wild horses
clattered past and crowded through the gates, scattering swiftly across
the pasture lot back of the corral. A dozen sweat-streaked riders
swung from their saddles. There was no chance to distinguish color or
kind among them through the dust caked in the week-old growth of beard
that covered every face.

One man remained on his mount and followed the horses into the pasture
lot, cutting out fifty or more and heading them back into the corral;
for Waddles had decreed that they could have the rest of the afternoon
off for a jaunt to Brill's Store and they waited only to change mounts
before the start.

Calico stood drooping sleepily in one of the smaller corrals and Harris
moved toward him, intending to ride over with the rest of the men.

"The boss said for you to ride Blue," Morrow stated as Harris passed
the group at the gates of the corral. "He's clear gentle-broke, Blue
is."

The men looked up in surprise. Morrow had not been near the house to
receive instructions from the girl. The lie had been so apparent as to
constitute a direct challenge to the other man.

Harris stood looking at him, then shrugged his shoulders.

"Whatever the boss says goes with me," he returned evenly.

A rangy blue roan swept past with the fifty or so others. At least
once every round of the corral he laid bac