eyes, the two came down. They
were eager to assist the puncher in his trouble and without delay they
caught up the two horses that Calumet had bought soon after his coming
to the ranch, saddled and bridled them and rode out of the yard.

The unfortunate puncher did not wait for them. When they had announced
their intention of helping him, he had told them that he would ride on
ahead to help his partner, leaving them to follow as soon as they could.

"I reckon you know where it is," was his parting word to them. "Double
Fork. I reckon I'll know it again when I see it," he added, grimly
joking.

Betty watched Dade and Malcolm as they rode away. From the porch she
could follow their movements until they traveled about a mile of the
distance toward Double Fork. She saw them vanish into the wood, and
when she could see them no longer she turned and went into the house.

She went to the chair in which she had previously been sitting, resting
her arms on the table, but she was too nervous, too excited, to sit and
she presently got up and stood, looking anxiously at the face of the
clock on a shelf in a corner.

Toban had been gone a full hour, and she wondered if by this time he
had overtaken Calumet, or whether Calumet was racing ahead of him on
his way to execute vengeance upon the Taggarts. She was praying mutely
that Toban might overtake him before this could happen when she heard a
slight sound behind her and turned swiftly to see Neal Taggart standing
in the doorway, grinning at her.

The room darkened before her eyes as she swayed weakly and caught at
the table to support herself, and when she finally regained control of
herself she forced herself to stand erect. There was a great fear in
her heart, but she fought it down and faced Taggart with some semblance
of dignity and composure.

"What are you doing here?" she demanded; "what do you want?"

Taggart's face wore an evil smile. Before answering her he fastened
the door behind him, left it and went to the sitting-room door, peered
quickly into the room and swung the door shut, barring it. Betty stood
beside the table, watching him with a sort of fascination, a little
color now in her face, though she lacked the power to speak or to
interfere with Taggart's movements.

When he had barred the sitting-room door he came and stood beside the
table, and there was a repulsive, insulting leer on his face as he
looked down at her.

"Do you know what I cam