ng Beaudry was not contemplating matrimony. His interest just now
was centered in getting as far from the young woman and her relatives
as possible.

"When young Rutherford finds he has been sold, there will be the deuce
to pay," urged Roy.

"Will there? I dunno. Old man Rutherford ain't going to be so awfully
keen to get us back on his hands. We worried him a heap. Miss Beulah
lifted two heavy weights off'n his mind. I'm one and you're the other.
O' course, he'll start the boys out after us to square himself with
Tighe and Meldrum. He's got to do that. They're sure going to be busy
bees down in the Huerfano hive. The Rutherford boys are going to do a
lot of night-riding for quite some time. But I expect Hal won't give
them orders to bring us in dead or alive. There is no premium on our
pelts."

Roy spent a nervous half-hour before his friend would let him mount
again--and he showed it. The shrewd eyes of the old cattleman
appraised him. Already he guessed some of the secrets of this young
man's heart.

Dave swung to the left into the hills so as to get away from the beaten
trails after they had crossed the pass. He rode slowly, with a careful
eye upon his companion. Frequently he stopped to rest in spite of
Roy's protests.

Late in the afternoon they came to a little mountain ranch owned by a
nester who had punched cattle for Dave in the old days. Now he was
doing a profitable business himself in other men's calves. He had
started with a branding-iron and a flexible conscience. He still had
both of them, together with a nice little bunch of cows that beat the
world's records for fecundity.

It was not exactly the place Dingwell would have chosen to go into
hiding, but he had to take what he could get. Roy, completely
exhausted, was already showing a fever. He could not possibly travel
farther.

With the casual confidence that was one of his assets Dave swung from
his horse and greeted the ranchman.

"'Lo, Hart! Can we roost here to-night? My friend got thrown and hurt
his shoulder. He's all in."

The suspicious eyes of the nester passed over Beaudry and came back to
Dingwell.

"I reckon so," he said, not very graciously. "We're not fixed for
company, but if you'll put up with what we've got--"

"Suits us fine. My friend's name is Beaudry. I'll get him right to
bed."

Roy stayed in bed for forty-eight hours. His wound was only a slight
one and the fever soon subsided. The th