ut Keith turned sharply to the right, anxious to slip past
without being challenged by a sentry. Beyond the brow of the bluff other
lights now became visible, flickering here and there, marking where a
straggling town had sprung up under the protection of the post--a town
garish enough in the daylight, composed mostly of shacks and tents,
but now with its deficiencies mercifully concealed by the enveloping
darkness. The trail, easily followed, led directly along its single
street, but Keith circled the outskirts through a wilderness of tin-cans
and heaps of other debris, until he halted his charges beside the
black shadow of the only two-story edifice in the place. This was the
Occidental, the hospitality of which he had frequently tested.

A light streamed from out the front windows, but, uncertain who might be
harbored within, Keith tapped gently at the back door. It was not opened
immediately, and when it was finally shoved aside the merest crack, no
glow of light revealed the darkened interior. The voice which spoke,
however, was amply sufficient to identify its owner.

"Is that ye agin, Murphy, a playin' av yer dirthy thricks?"

"No, Mrs. Murphy," he hastened to explain, "this is Keith--Jack Keith,
of the 'Bar X.'"

"The Lord deliver us!" was the instant exclamation, the door opening
wide. "They do be afther tellin' me to-night av the throuble ye was in
over at Carson, an' Oi t'ought maybe ye moight turn up this way. It was
a nate thrick ye played on the loikes av 'em, Jack, but this is a dom
poor place fer ye ter hide in. Bedad, there's a half-dozen in the parly
now talkin' about it, wid a couple av officers from the fort. Is the
nager wid ye?"

"Yes, but we have no intention of hiding here. I'd rather take my chance
in the open. The fact is, Kate, we started off for the 'Bar X.'"

"Av course, ye did; Oi was shure av it."

"But down on the Salt Fork we ran across a young girl whom Black Bart
had inveigled down that way on a lie. We had a bit of a fight, and got
her away from him. This is what brought us back here--to put the girl
where she will be safe out of his clutches."

The door was wide open now, and Mrs. Murphy outside, her interest at
fever heat.

"Ye had a foight wid Black Bart! Oh, ye divil! An' ye licked the dirthy
spalpane, an' got away wid his gyurl! Glory be! And would Oi take her?
Well, Oi would. Niver doubt that, me bye. She may be the quane av Shaba,
an' she may be a Digger Injun Squaw,