but he's just as dangerous. He's dangerous
because he doesn't know what he's doing--has absolutely no fear of
death--and then he's swift with a gun. That's a bad combination. Cleve
will kill a man presently. He's shot three already, and in Gulden's
case he meant to kill. If once he kills a man--that'll make him a
gun-fighter. I've worried a little about his seeing you. But I can
manage him, I guess. He can't be scared or driven. But he may be led.
I've had Red Pearce tell him you are my wife. I hope he believes it,
for none of the other fellows believe it. Anyway, you'll meet this
Cleve soon, maybe to-day, and I want you to be friendly. If I can steady
him--stop his drinking--he'll be the best man for me on this border."

"I'm to help persuade him to join your band?" asked Joan, and she could
not yet control her voice.

"Is that so black a thing?" queried Kells, evidently nettled, and he
glared at her.

"I--I don't know," faltered Joan. "Is this--this boy a criminal yet?"

"No. He's only a fine, decent young chap gone wild--gone bad for some
girl. I told you that. You don't seem to grasp the point. If I can
control him he'll be of value to me--he'll be a bold and clever and
dangerous man--he'll last out here. If I can't win him, why, he won't
last a week longer. He'll be shot or knifed in a brawl. Without my
control Cleve'll go straight to the hell he's headed for."

Joan pushed back her plate and, looking up, steadily eyed the bandit.

"Kells, I'd rather he ended his--his career quick--and went to--to--than
live to be a bandit and murderer at your command."

Kells laughed mockingly, yet the savage action with which he threw his
cup against the wall attested to the fact that Joan had strange power to
hurt him.

"That's your sympathy, because I told you some girl drove him out here,"
said the bandit. "He's done for. You'll know that the moment you see
him. I really think he or any man out here would be the better for my
interest. Now, I want to know if you'll stand by me--put in a word to
help influence this wild boy."

"I'll--I'll have to see him first," replied Joan.

"Well, you take it sort of hard," growled Kells. Then presently he
brightened. "I seem always to forget that you're only a kid. Listen! Now
you do as you like. But I want to warn you that you've got to get back
the same kind of nerve"--here he lowered his voice and glanced at
Bate Wood--"that you showed when you shot me. You're going to see som