d directions.

"You'll be missing from the party," he said, as he handed over the
letter, "but the party we have with Perris is apt to be pretty much
like a party with a wild-cat. You can thank your stars you'll be on
the road when it comes off!"

And Slim had sense enough to nod in agreement.

CHAPTER XX

THE TRAP SHUTS

In one matter Lew Hervey had acted none too quickly. Shorty and Little
Joe arrived at the corral in time to find Marianne in the very act of
leading out her pony. They told her firmly and gently that the horse
must go back, and when she defied them, they astonished her by simply
removing her hand from the lead-rope and taking the horse away. In
vain she stormed and threatened. In vain, at length, she broke into
tears. Either of them would have given an arm to serve her. But in
fact they considered they were at that moment rendering the greatest
service possible. They were saving her from herself.

She fled back to the house again, finally, and threw herself face down
on her bed in an agony of dread, and helplessness, and shame. Shame
because from Little Joe's brief remarks, she gathered that Hervey had
already spread the news of her confession. But shame and fear were
suddenly forgotten. She found herself sitting wide-eyed on the edge
of the bed repeating over and over in a shaking voice "I have to get
there! I have to get there!"

But how utterly Hervey had tied her hands! She could not budge to warn
Perris or to join him!

The long night wore away with Marianne crouched at the window
straining her eyes towards the corrals. Night was the proper time for
such a thing as the murder of Red Perris. They would not dare, she
felt, for all their numbers, to face him in the honest sunshine. So
she peered eagerly towards the shadowy outlines of the barns and sheds
until at length a wan moon rose and gave her blessed light.

But no one approached the corrals from the bunkhouse, and at length,
when the dawn began to grow, she fell asleep. It was a sleep filled
with nightmares and before the sun was well up she was awake again,
and at watch.

Mid-morning came, yet still none of the men rode out to their ordinary
work. There could be only one meaning. They were held back to join the
expedition. They were at this very moment, perhaps, cleaning their
guns in the bunkhouse. Noon brought no action. They trooped cheerfully
towards the house in answer to the noon-gong. She heard them laughing
and jesti