stir out of the chair--"

The man went and sat down in the chair on whose back he had been
leaning.

"I swear, I don't know what to make of you," said he, rubbing his head
ruefully.

"You can make friends with me," said she. "That's what you can do. I'm
sure I've shown you that I'm friendly enough. I never believe any harm
of any one till I see it myself. I don't blame you for wanting the
money. I'm always in want of money. I've told you you might take mine,
though I don't want you to. But I shouldn't give you Tom's money, even
if I knew where it was. Tom would kill me if I did, and I might as well
be killed by you as by Tom--and better. You can make friends with me,
and be some protection to me till my husband comes. I'm expecting him
and Jules every moment."

The man started to his feet.

"Do you see that?" he cried, holding his revolver under her nose. "Look
right into that gun! We'll have no more fooling. It'll be your last look
if you don't tell me where that money is before I count three."

She put out her hand and calmly moved it aside.

"I've looked into those things ever since I've lived on the prairie,"
said she. "And I dare say it won't go off--mine won't. Besides, I know
very well you wouldn't shoot a woman, and you can't make bricks without
straw; and then I've told you I don't know anything about that money."

"You are a game one," said he.

"No, I'm not," she replied. "I'm the most tremendous coward. I've come
out here in this wild country to live, and I'm alone a great deal, and I
quake at every sound, every creak of a timber, every rustle of the
grass. And you don't know anything about what it is to have your heart
stand still with horror of a wild beast or a wild Indian or a
deserter--a deserting soldier. There's a great Apache down there now,
stretched out in his blanket on the floor, before the fire in the
kitchen. And I came up here as quick as I could, to lock the door behind
us and sit up till Tom came home, and I declare, I never was so thankful
in all my life as I was just now to see a white face when I looked at
you!"

"Well, I'll be--! Apache!" cried the visitor. "See here, little one,
you've saved your husband's money for him. You're a double-handful of
pluck. I haven't any idea but you know where it's hid--but I've got to
be making tracks. If it wasn't for waking that Apache I'd leave Red
Dan's handwriting on the wall."

And almost while he was speaking he had swung himself out