nora quickly arose and went over to the counter
where, pointing to his stack of silver dollars, he said:

"Girl, buy two ribbons at The Ridge;" and then with a significant glance
towards Ashby, he added: "Fawn's my colour."

And again, as before, the voice that said, "Thank you," was colourless,
while her eyes rested upon the ubiquitous Nick, who had entered with an
armful of wood and was intent upon making the room warmer.

Rance snorted disapprovingly at Sonora's prodigality. That he considered
that both his and Ashby's attentions to the Girl had gone far enough
was made apparent by the severe manner in which he envisaged them and
drawled out:

"Play cyards?"

But to that gentleman's surprise the men did not move. Instead, Ashby
raising a warning finger to the Girl, went on to advise that she should
bank with them oftener, concluding with:

"And then if this road agent Ramerrez should drop in, you won't lose so
much--"

"The devil you say!" cut in Sonora; while Trinidad broke out into a
scornful laugh.

"Oh, go on, Mr. Ashby!" smilingly scoffed the Girl. "I keep the
specie in an empty keg now. But I've took to bankin' personally in my
stockin'," she confided without the slightest trace of embarrassment.

"But say, we've got an awful pile this month," observed Nick, anxiously,
leaving the fireplace and joining the little ring of men about her. "It
makes me sort o' nervous--why, Sonora's got ten thousand alone fer safe
keepin' in that keg an'--"

"--Ramerrez' band's everywhere," completed Ashby with a start, his quick
and trained ear having caught the sound of horses' hoofs.

"But if a road agent did come here, I could offer 'im a drink an' he'd
treat me like a perfect lady," contended the Girl, confidently.

"You bet he would, the durned old halibut!" was Sonora's comment, while
Nick took occasion to ask the Girl for some tobacco.

"Solace or Honeydew?" she inquired, her hands already on the assortment
of tobacco underneath the bar.

"Dew," was Nick's laconic answer.

And then it was that the Girl heard for the first time the sound of
the galloping hoofs; startled for the moment, she inquired somewhat
uneasily:

"Who's this, I wonder?"

But no sooner were the words spoken than a voice outside in the darkness
sung out sharply:

"Hello!"

"Hello!" instantly returned another voice, which the Girl recognised at
once as being that of the Deputy.

"Big holdup last night at The Forks!" the first voi