n in his
gray-blue eyes.

"Tell her I'll be much obliged if she'll take me," Yeager said in his
gentle drawl.

Considering his request, she stripped the gauntlet without purpose from
one of her little brown hands. A solitaire sparkled on the third finger.
Again she murmured, "I'll ask mother"; then turned and flashed up the
steps, her slender limbs carrying with fluent grace the pliant young
body.

Presently appeared on the porch a plump, matronly woman of a wholesome
cleanness without and within. Judging by fugitive dabs of flour which
decorated her temple and her forehead, she had been making bread or pies
at the time she had been called by her daughter. Much of her life she
had lived in the Southwest, and one glance at Yeager was enough to
satisfy her. Through the dust and tarnished clothes of him youth shone
resplendent. The sun was still in his brindle hair, in his gay eyes. She
had a boy of her own, and the heart of her warmed to him.

In five sentences they had come to an arrangement. The barn behind the
house had been remodeled so that it contained several bedrooms. Into one
of these Yeager was to move his scant effects at once.

He and Farrar walked back to the hotel together. Harrison was waiting
for them on the porch. As soon as he caught sight of the cowpuncher he
strode forward. The straight line of his set mouth looked like a gash in
a melon.

"Will you have it here or back of the garage?" he demanded, getting
straight to business.

"Any place that suits you," agreed Steve affably. "Won't the bulls pinch
us if we do a roughhouse here?"

Harrison turned with triumphant malice to Farrar.

"Get your camera. You say you don't like phony stuff. Good enough. I'll
pull off the real goods for you in licking a rube. There's plenty of
room back of the garage."

The camera man protested. "See here, Harrison. Yeager ain't looking for
trouble. He told you he was sorry. It was an accident. What's the use of
bearing a grudge?"

The heavy glared at him. "You in this, Mr. Farrar? You're liable to have
a heluvatime if you butt into my business without an invite. Shack--and
git that camera."

Yeager nodded to his new friend. "Go ahead and get it. We'll be waiting
back of the garage."

Farrar hesitated, the professional instinct in him awake and active.

"If you're dead keen on a mix-up, Harrison, why not come over to the
studio where I can get the best light? We'll make an indoor set of it."

"Go you," p