sively let out something to
the others. "Why didn't they take you along, too?"

"I sure wish they had," Bud answered shortly. "Then I wouldn't of had to
be lookin' at that all afternoon."

He straightened from the wagon-body he was tinkering and waved a wrench
toward the window behind Stratton. Turning quickly, the latter saw that it
looked out on the rear of the ranch-house, where there were a few stunted
trees and a not altogether successful attempt at a small flower-garden.
On a rough, rustic bench under one of the trees sat young Manning and Mary
Thorne, in earnest conversation.

"Sickening, ain't it?" commented Bud, taking encouragement from Stratton's
involuntary frown. "I been expectin' 'em to hold hands any minute."

Buck laughed, mainly because he was annoyed with himself for feeling any
emotion whatever. "You don't seem to like Mr. Alfred Manning," he
remarked.

"Who would?" snorted Jessup. "He sure gets my goat, with them dude
clothes, an' that misplaced piece of eyebrow on his lip, an' his superior
airs. I wouldn't of thought Miss Mary was the kind to--"

"Where's--er--Miss Manning?" broke in Buck, reluctant to continue the
discussion.

"Gone in with Mrs. Archer," Bud explained, "They was both out there a
while ago, but I reckon they got tired hangin' around."

Stratton turned his back on the dingy window and fell to work on the wagon
with Bud.

"Seen Bemis lately?" he asked presently, realizing of a sudden that he had
not visited the invalid for several days.

Bud sniffed. "Sure. I was in there this mornin'. He's outa bed now
moochin' around the room an' countin' the hours till he can back a
horse."

"Still got that notion the outfit isn't safe?"

"I'll tell the world! He says life's too short to take any more chances
of bein' bumped off. Tried to make me believe my turn'll come next."

Stratton shrugged his shoulders. "I reckon there isn't much chance of
that. They're not keen to get the sheriff down on their trail. Well, if he
feels like that he wouldn't be much use here even if we could persuade him
to stick."

About half-past five they decided to call it a day and went down to the
bunk-house, through the open door of which Buck presently observed the
arrival of the remainder of the outfit. They came from the east, and
Kreeger and Siegrist were with them. As Buck expected, the former rode the
sorrel with distinctive white markings, while the latter bestrode a
nondescript bay. The second