w, turning toward the brush. He came out leading the pony.

"Thank you. Collie, you may get the mail, please."

Collie stood watching her as she rode away. Then with much deliberation
he tied his own pony Apache to a clump of greasewood. He unbuckled his
belt and flung it, with gun and holster, to the ground.

"Now," he said, his face blazing white with suppressed anger. "I'm going
to make you eat that speech about any woman making things look
smooth--_if she's interested_."

"You go on home or I'll break you in two," said Tenlow.

Collie's reply was a flail-like blow between Tenlow's eyes. The deputy
staggered, gritted his teeth, and flung himself at the younger man. The
fight was unequal from the beginning. Apache snorted and circled as the
bushes crashed and crackled.

A few minutes later, Tenlow strode from the brush leading his pony. He
wiped the blood and sweat from his face and spat viciously.

* * * * *

Louise, riding homeward slowly, heard a horse coming behind her. She
reined Sarko and waited. Collie saw no way out of it, so he rode up,
grinning from a bruised and battered face.

"Why, Collie!"

The young man grinned again. His lips were swollen and one eye was
nearly closed.

Dismounting, Louise stepped to the ford. "Oh, I'm sorry!" she cried.
"Your face is terribly bruised. And your eye--" She could not help
smiling at Collie's ludicrous appearance.

"I took a fall," he mumbled blandly. "Apache here is tricky at times."

Louise's gaze was direct and reproachful. "Here, let me bathe your face.
Stoop down, like that. You don't look so badly, now that the dirt is
off. Surely you didn't fall on your _eye_?"

Collie tried to laugh, but the effort was not very successful.

Tenderly she bathed his bruised face. Her nearness, her touch, made him
forget the pain. Suddenly he seized her hand and kissed it, leaving a
stain of blood where his lips had touched. She was thrilled with a
mingled feeling of pride and shame--pride in that he had fought because
of her, as she knew well enough, and shame at the brutality of the
affair which she understood as clearly as though she had witnessed it.
She was too honest to make herself believe she was not flattered, in a
way, but she made Collie think otherwise.

He evaded her direct questioning stubbornly. Finally she asked whether
Mr. Tenlow "had taken a fall," or not.

"Sure he did!" replied Collie. "A couple or three years ago