membering that it doesn't
happen to belong to him any more."

He nodded and went to the door. There he turned and looked back at the
girl. She had risen swiftly, even coming a step toward him.

"I haven't thanked you ... I ..."

Templeton looked on curiously, an odd twitching at the corners of his
large mouth. Thornton threw up a sudden hand.

"No," he said hastily. "You haven't spoiled things by thanking me.
And.... We'll see each other again," he concluded in his quietly
matter-of-fact way. And, his nod for both of them, he went out.

CHAPTER VI

WINIFRED JUDGES A MAN

There was a puzzled frown in her eyes, a faint flush tingeing her cheeks
as, withdrawing her regard from Thornton's departure, she looked to
Templeton and asked quickly:

"Why did he call Henry Pollard a rattlesnake?"

A faint smile for a moment threatened to drive the sternness away from
Templeton's lips. But it was gone in a quick tightening of the mouth,
and he answered briefly.

"He didn't know that you knew Pollard."

"I don't know him," she reminded him coolly. "You will remember that I
haven't seen him since I was six years old. I hardly know what he looks
like. But you haven't answered me; why did your imprudent giant call him
a rattlesnake?"

"They have had business dealings together," he told her vaguely. "Maybe
they have disagreed about something. Men out there are a little given to
hard words, I think."

She sat silent, leaning forward, tapping at her boot with her quirt.
Then quickly, just as the banker was opening his lips to speak of the
other matter, she demanded:

"Why did you call him a fool for bringing the money here? It had to be
brought, hadn't it?"

"Yes! That's just it. It had to be brought and there is not a man in all
of the cattle country here who does not know all about the terms of the
contract Thornton and Pollard made. Ten thousand down, five thousand in
three days from now, the other five thousand in six months. Why, right
now I wouldn't attempt to carry five thousand dollars _in cash_ over
that wilderness trail if there were ten times the amount to come to me
at the end of it! It's as mad as this thing you want to do."

"He did it."

"Yes," shortly. "He did it." He gathered up the loose money, pushed a
button set in the table, and upon the prompt appearance of the cashier
said crisply, "Five thousand to apply on the Pollard-Thornton agreement.
Put it in the big safe immediately."

"He loo