e darkened as he glanced thoughtfully at the departing figure of
Miss Manning. She had greeted him warmly and betrayed a very evident
inclination to linger in his vicinity. There had been a slight touch of
pique in her treatment of Lynch, who hung around so persistently.

"I wish to thunder I had an idea of how much she knows," he muttered. "Did
I act like a brainless idiot when I was--was that way, or not?"

He had asked the same question of the hospital surgeon and got an
unsatisfactory answer. It all depended, the doctor told him
non-committally. He might easily have shown evidences of lost memory; on
the other hand, it was quite possible, especially with chance
acquaintances, that his manner had been entirely normal.

There was nothing to be gained, however, by racking his brain for
something that wasn't there, and Buck soon gave up the attempt. He could
only trust to luck and his own inventiveness, and hope that Lynch's
delightfully unconscious easing of the situation would continue.

The work was finished toward noon on the third day after the arrival of
the Mannings, and all the connections hooked up. There remained nothing to
do but test the line, and Tex, after making sure everything was in order,
glanced over his men, who lounged in front of the Las Vegas shack.

"Yuh may as well stay down at this end," he remarked, looking at Buck,
"while the rest of us go back. Stick around where yuh can hear the bell,
an' if it don't ring in, say, an hour, try to get the house yourself. If
that don't work, come along in an' report. I reckon everything's all
right, though."

Stratton was conscious of a sudden sense of alertness. He had grown so
used to suspecting and analyzing everything the foreman said or did that
for a moment he forgot the precautions he had taken and wondered whether
Lynch was up to some new crooked work. Then he remembered and relaxed
mentally. Considering the consequences, Tex would hardly dare try any
fresh violence against him, especially quite so soon. Besides, in broad
daylight and in this open country, Buck couldn't imagine any form of
danger he wouldn't be able to meet successfully alone.

So he acquiesced indifferently, and from the open doorway of the hut
watched the others mount and ride away. There were only four of them, for
Kreeger and Butch Siegrist had been dispatched early that morning to ride
fence on the other side of the ranch-house. When they were well on their
way, Buck untied