-naturedly.

Charlton answered with cool aplomb. "Don't you worry about me, Ned. I
travel at a good lick myself. She'll break to double harness fine."

Without touching the stirrup this knight of the _chaparreras_ flung
himself into the saddle, the rowels of his spurs whirring as he
vaulted. It was a spectacular but perfect mount. The horse was off
instantly at a canter.

Roy could not deny the fellow admiration, even though he despised him
for what he had just said. It was impossible for him to be
contemptuous of Charlton. The man was too virile, too game for that.
In the telling Western phrase, he would go through. Whatever he did
was done competently.

Yet there was something detestable in the way he had referred to Beulah
Rutherford. In the first place, Roy believed it to be a pure
assumption that he was going to marry her. Then, too, he had spoken of
this high-spirited girl as if she were a colt to be broken and he the
man to wield the whip. Her rebellion against fate meant nothing more
to him than a tantrum to be curbed. He did not in the least divine the
spiritual unrest back of her explosion.

Beaudry shrugged his shoulders. He was lucky for once. It had been
the place of Ned Rutherford to rebuke Charlton for his slighting
remark. A stranger had not the least right to interfere while the
brother of the girl was present. Roy did not pursue the point any
further. He did not want to debate with himself whether he had the
pluck to throw down the gauntlet to this fighting _vaquero_ if the call
had come to him.

As he walked into the house and up to his room, his mind was busy with
another problem. Where had Ned Rutherford been for three nights and
his brother Jeff before that? Why had Beulah flared into unexpected
anger? He, too, had glimpsed furtive whisperings. Even a fool would
have understood that he was not a welcome guest at the horse ranch, and
that his presence was tolerated only because here the boys could keep
an eye on him. He was under surveillance. That was plain. He had
started out for a little walk before breakfast and Jeff joined him from
nowhere in particular to stroll along. What was it the Huerfano Park
settlers were trying to hide from him? His mind jumped promptly to the
answer. Dave Dingwell, of course.

Meanwhile Miss Rutherford lay weeping in the next room face down upon
the bed. She rarely indulged in tears. It had not happened before
since she was sevent