down to Dakota's cabin with it. Give it to Bud--one of my
men--and tell him to scatter the others and try to head off Duncan if he
comes that way. I'm after him!"

The paper fluttered toward her, she snatched at it, missed it, and stooped
to take it from the ground. When she stood erect she saw Allen and his
pony silhouetted for an instant on the crest of the ridge on the other
side of the river. Then he vanished.

CHAPTER XVIII

FOR DAKOTA

Though in a state of anxiety and excitement over the incident of Duncan's
attack on Doubler and the subsequent shooting, together with a realization
of Dakota's danger, Sheila did not lose her composure. She ran to the
river and secured the water, aware that it might be needed now more than
ever. Then, hurrying as best she could with the weight of the pail, she
returned to the cabin.

She was relieved to find that Doubler had received no injury, and she
paused long enough to allow him to tell her that Duncan had entered the
cabin shortly after she had left it. He had attacked Doubler, but had been
interrupted by Allen, who had suddenly ridden up. Duncan had heard him
coming, and had concealed himself behind the door, and when Allen had
entered Duncan had struck him on the head with the butt of his
six-shooter, knocking him down. The blow had been a glancing one, however,
and Allen had recovered quickly, seizing Doubler's rifle and trying to
bring down the would be murderer as he fled.

While attending to Doubler's bandages, Sheila repeated the conversation
she had had with Allen concerning the situation in which he had left
Dakota, and instantly the nester's anxiety for his friend took precedence
over any thoughts for his own immediate welfare.

"There'll be trouble sure, now that Allen's left there," he said. "Dakota
won't be a heap easy with them deputies."

He told Sheila to let the bandaging go until later, but she refused.

"Dakota'll be needin' you a heap more than I need you," he insisted,
refusing to allow her to touch the bandages. "There'll be the devil to pay
if any of them deputies try to rush Dakota's shack. I want you to go down
there right now. If you wait, it'll mebbe be too late."

Sheila hesitated for a moment, and then, yielding to the entreaty in
Doubler's eyes, she was at his side, pressing his hand.

"Ride ma'am!" he told her, when she was ready to go, his cheeks flushed
with excitement, his eyes bright.

Her pony snorted with surprise whe