ave
understood, for she was wondering--as Dade had wondered--why he had
pretended to make friends with Taggart, why he had asked the Arrow man
to visit the Lazy Y that afternoon.

After dinner Calumet went out again to his work, apparently carefree
and unconcerned, if we are to omit those thoughts in which Dade and
Betty figured, Dade watched him with much curiosity, for the incident
of the day before was still vivid in his mind, and if there had been.
mystery in Calumet's action in inviting Taggart to the Lazy Y there had
been no mystery in the words he had spoken outside the Red Dog Saloon
immediately afterward: "It's my game, do you hear?"

But along toward the middle of the afternoon Dade became so interested
that he forgot all about Taggart, and was only reminded of him when
looking up momentarily he saw Calumet sitting on a pile of timber near
the ranchhouse, leaning lazily forward, his elbows resting on his
knees, his chin on his hands, gazing speculatively into the afternoon
haze. Dade noted that he was looking southward, and he turned and
followed his gaze to see, far out in the valley, a horseman approaching.

Dade had turned stealthily and thought his movement had been unobserved
by Calumet, and he started when the latter slowly remarked:

"Well, he's comin', after all. I was thinkin' he wouldn't."

"That's him, all right, I reckon," returned Dade. He shot a glance at
Calumet's face--it was expressionless.

There was a silence until Taggart reached the low hill in the valley
where on the day following his coming to the Lazy Y Calumet had seen
Lonesome, before the dog had begun the stalk that had ended in its
death. Then Calumet turned to Dade, a derisive light in his eyes.

"Do you reckon Betty will be glad to see him?"

"I don't reckon you done just right in askin' him here after what he
said in the Red Dog," returned Dade.

Calumet seemed amused. "Shucks, you're a kid yet," he said. He
ignored Dade, giving his attention to Taggart, who was now near the
bunkhouse.

Taggart's coming was attended with interest by Malcolm, who, hearing
hoofbeats in the ranchhouse yard came to the door of the bunkhouse
where he had been doing some small task; by Bob, who hobbled out of the
stable door, his eyes wide; and by Betty, who, forewarned of the visit
by Dade, had come out upon the porch and had been watching his approach.

Dade was interested also, betraying his interest by covertly eyeing
Taggart as