likely to come later on. For a time Buck rode beside the sheriff,
discussing their plans and explaining the lay of the land. Then he fell
back a little to chat with Jessup.

"I'm sure glad of one thing," Bud said emphatically, after a few desultory
remarks. "Miss Mary won't be bothered no more now with that son-of-a-gun
hangin' around an' makin' eyes."

Stratton turned on him suddenly. "Who the devil do you mean?" he demanded
sharply.

"Why, Tex, of course," shrugged Jessup. "He used to put in considerable
time soft-soapin' around her. A hell of a nerve, I'll say, makin' up to
such as her."

Buck scowled. "I never saw anything like that," he said brusquely, "except
maybe once," he added. With a sudden recollection of that afternoon they
moved the herd out of south pasture.

"Likely not," returned Bud. "He wasn't so bad till after yuh went. I got
the notion he took to courtin' her, yuh might say, as a kind of last hope.
If he could figger on gettin' her to marry him, he'd have the ranch an'
everythin' on it without no more trouble at all. You'd think even a
scoundrel like him would see she wouldn't look at him."

"Did he-- Was he--"

"Oh, no! Nothin' raw a-tall," returned Bud, divining the thought in
Stratton's mind. "He just hung around the ranch-house a lot, an' was awful
sweet, an' used them black eyes of his consid'able. Sorta preparing the
way, I reckon. But he didn't get far." He chuckled reminiscently. "I'll
tell the world, she didn't waste no time sendin' him about his business."

For a time Buck rode on in frowning silence. The very thought enraged him
and added deeply to the score that was piling up so rapidly against the
scoundrel.

Presently Bud's voice broke in upon his savage reverie.

"Funny we didn't see nothin' of the Mannings back there," he commented.
"The lady couldn't of known yuh was around." He glanced slyly at Buck.
"Besides," he added, seeing that his friend's expression did not lighten,
"with somethin' like this doin', you'd think his lordship would want to
strut around in them baggy pants an' yellow boots, an' air his views on
how to go about to catch the gang."

Stratton turned his head abruptly. "But they must be there!" he said
sharply. "They surely can't have gone away."

"There wasn't no talk of it when I left," shrugged Bud. "Still, an' all,
me an' his nibs wasn't on exactly confidential terms, an' he might have
forgot to tell me about his plans. Yuh got to remember, too, I'