back the second time. Nine--ten--eleven o'clock
struck, and still no sign of those for whom she waited.

At last they came, their prisoner riding in the midst, bareheaded and
with his hands tied.

"I've got him, Phyl!" Healy cried in a voice that told the girl he was
riding on a wave of triumph.

"I see you have."

Nevertheless she looked not at the victor, but at the vanquished, and
never had she seen a man who looked more master of his fate than this
one. He was smiling down at her whimsically, and she saw they had not
taken him without a struggle. The marks of it were on them and on him.
Healy's cheek bone was laid open in a nasty cut, and Slim had a
handkerchief tied round his head.

As for Keller, his shirt was in ribbons and dyed with the stains of
blood from the wound that had broken out again in the battle. The hair
on the left side of his head was clotted with dried blood, and his
cheeks were covered with it. Both eyes were blacked, and hands and face
were scratched badly. But his mien was as jaunty, his smile as gallant,
as if he had come at the head of a conquering army.

"Good evenin', Miss Sanderson," he bowed ironically.

She looked at him, and turned away without answering. She heard Healy
curse softly and knew why. This man contrived somehow to rob him of his
triumph.

"You are none of you hurt, Brill?" the girl asked in a low voice.

"No. He fought like a wild cat, but we took him by surprise. He had only
his bare fists."

"How about him? Is he hurt?"

"I don't know--or care," the man answered sullenly.

"But he must be looked to."

"I don't know why. It ain't my fault we had to beat him up."

"I didn't say it _was_ your fault, Brill," she answered gently. "But any
one can see he has lost a lot of blood, and his wounds are full of dust.
They must be washed. I want him brought into the house. Aunt Becky and I
will look after him."

"No need of that. Slim will fix him up."

She shook her head. "No, Brill."

His eyes gave way first, but his surrender came with a bad grace.

"All right, Phyl. But he's going to be covered by a gun all the time.
I'm not taking chances on him."

"Then have him taken into my den. I'll wake Aunt Becky and we'll be
there in a few minutes."

When Phyllis arrived with Aunt Becky she found the nester sitting on the
lounge, Healy opposite him with a revolver close to his hand. The
prisoner's arms had been freed. His sardonic smile still twitched at the
corn