you pretty bad," said Randerson. "But you had
it comin' to you. If you hadn't tried to play the skunk at the last
minute, you'd have got off easier. I reckon your hand ain't so active as
it's been--I had to pretty near stamp it off of you--you would keep
pullin' the trigger of that pop-gun. Do you reckon you c'n get up now,
an' get on your horse?"

Masten felt himself lifted; he did not resist. Then he felt the saddle
under him; he made an effort and steadied himself. Then, still only half
conscious he rode, reeling in the saddle, toward a light that he saw in
the distance, which, he dimly felt, must come from the Flying W
ranchhouse.

CHAPTER XIV

THE ROCK AND THE MOONLIGHT

Randerson did not leave the scene of the fight immediately. He stood for
a long time, after buckling on his belt and pistols, looking meditatively
toward the break in the canyon beyond which was Catherson's shack.

"Did the dresses have anything to do with it?" he asked himself, standing
there in the darkness. "New dresses might have--puttin' foolish notions
in her head. But I reckon the man--" He laughed grimly. He had thought it
all over before, back there on the path when he had been talking to
Masten and Hagar. He reflected again on it now. "Lookin' it square in the
face, it's human nature. We'll allow that. We'll say a man has feelin's.
But a man ought to have sense, too--or he ain't a man. If Masten was a
boy, now, not realizin', there'd be excuses. But he's wised up.... If his
intentions had been honorable--but he's engaged to Ruth, an' they
couldn't. I reckon he'll pull his freight now. Catherson would sure muss
him up some."

He mounted his pony and rode toward the Flying W ranchhouse. Halfway
there he passed Masten. The moon had risen; by its light he could see the
Easterner, who had halted his horse and was standing beside it, watching
him. Randerson paid no heed to him.

"Thinkin' it over, I reckon," he decided, as he rode on. Looking back,
when he reached the house, he saw that Masten was still standing beside
his horse.

At the sound of hoof beats, Uncle Jepson came out on the porch and peered
at the rider. Randerson could see Aunt Martha close behind him. Uncle
Jepson was excited. He started off the porch toward Randerson.

"It's Randerson, mother!" he called shrilly back to Aunt Martha, who was
now on the porch.

In a brief time Randerson learned that Ruth had