alone."

Her father did not press the point. If Brad and she had fallen out,
the young man would have to make his own _amende_.

"None of the boys been deviling you?"

"No."

"Aren't you going to tell dad about it, Boots?"

Presently her dark eyes swept round to his.

"Why did you say that you didn't know anything about the Western
Express robbery?"

He looked steadily at her. "I didn't say that, Beulah. What I said
was that I didn't know where the stolen gold was hidden--and I didn't."

"That was just an evasion. You meant me to think that we had had
nothing to do with the--the robbery."

"That's right. I did."

"And all the time--" She broke off, a sob choking her throat.

"I knew who did it. That's correct. But I wasn't a party to the
robbery. I knew nothing about it till afterward."

"I've always believed everything you've told me, dad. And now--"

He felt doubt in her shaken voice. She did not know what to think now.
Rutherford set himself to clear away her suspicions. He chose to do it
by telling the exact truth.

"Now you may still believe me, honey. The robbery was planned by
Tighe. I'll not mention the names of those in it. The day after it
was pulled off, I heard of it for the first time. Dave Dingwell knew
too much. To protect my friends I had to bring him up here. Legally
I'm guilty of abduction and of the train robbery, too, because I butted
in after the hold-up and protected the guilty ones. I even tried to
save for them the gold they had taken."

"Were--any of the boys in it, dad?" she quavered.

"One of them. I won't tell you which."

"And Brad?"

"We're not giving names, Boots."

"Oh, well! I know he was one of them." She slipped her arm within her
father's and gave his hand a little pressure. "I'm glad you told me,
just the same, dad. I'd been thinking--worse things about you."

"That's all right, honey. Now you won't worry any more, will you?"

"I don't know. . . . That's not all that troubles me. I feel bad when
the boys drink and brawl. That attack on Mr. Beaudry at Battle Butte
was disgraceful," she flamed. "I don't care if he did come up here
spying. Why can't they let him alone?"

He passed a hand in a troubled fashion through his grizzled hair. "You
can bet our boys won't touch him again, Boots. I've laid the law down.
But I can't answer for Tighe. He'll do him a meanness if he can, and
he'll do it quicker since I've broken off with h