them
almost instantly; then, beckoning to Sid to approach, she went on in her
most gentle tones: "I was jest gittin' to you, Sid, as I promised. You
can stay."

Looking like a whipped dog The Sidney Duck advanced warily towards her.

Sonora's brow grew thunderous.

"What, here among gentlemen?"

And that his protest met with instantaneous approval was shown by the
way the miners shifted uneasily in their seats and shouted
threateningly:

"Git! Git!"

"Why, the fellow's a--" began Trinidad, but got no further, for the Girl
stopped him by exclaiming:

"I know, I know, Trin--I've tho't it all over!"

For the next few minutes the Girl stood strangely still and her face
became very grave. Never before had the men seen her in a mood like
this, and they exchanged wondering glances. Presently she said:

"Boys, of late a man in trouble has been on my mind--" She paused, her
glance having caught the peculiar light which her words had caused to
appear in Rance's eyes, and lest he should misunderstand her meaning,
she hastened to add: "Sid, o' course,--an' I fell to thinkin' o' the
Prodigal Son. He done better, didn't he?"

"But a card sharp," objected Sonora from the depths of his big voice.

"Yes, that's what!" interjected Trinidad, belligerently.

The Girl's eyebrows lifted and a shade of resentment was in the
answering voice:

"But s'pose there was a moment in his life when he was called upon to
find a extra ace--can't we forgive 'im? He says he's sorry--ain't you,
Sid?"

All the while the Girl had been speaking The Sidney Duck kept his eyes
lowered and was swallowing nervously. Now he raised them and, with a
feeble attempt to simulate penitence, he acknowledged that he had done
wrong. Nevertheless, he declared:

"But if I 'adn't got caught things would 'a' been different. Oh, yes,
I'm sorry."

In an instant the Girl was at his side removing the deuce of spades from
his coat.

"Sid, you git your chance," she said with trembling lips. "Now go an'
sit down."

A broad smile was creeping over The Sidney Duck's countenance as he
moved towards the others; but Happy took it upon himself to limit its
spread.

"Take that!" he blazed, striking the man in the face. "And git out of
here!

"Happy, Happy!" cried the Girl. Her voice was so charged with reproach
that The Sidney Duck was allowed by the men to pass on without any
further molestation. Nevertheless, when he attempted to sit beside them,
they moved as