realized that if the
Texan had switched glasses he was cognizant of the attempt to dope him.
Moistening his lips with his tongue, the cowpuncher turned abruptly on
his heel. "Guess I'll be gittin' back where they's a lot of folks
around," he muttered as he mounted his horse. "I got to try an' figger
out if he knows it was me got Cinnabar to dope his booze. An' if he
does--" The man's face turned just a shade paler beneath the tan----
"I got to lay off this here buckin' contest. I hain't got the guts to
tackle it."

"Have you drawn your horse?" he had reached the lumber pile and the
girl was smiling down at him. He shook his head dolefully.

"No, mom, I hain't a-goin' to ride. I spraint my shoulder ropin' that
steer an' I just be'n over to see doc an' he says I should keep offen
bad horses fer a spell. It's sure tough luck, too, 'cause I c'd of won
if I c'd of rode. But I s'pose I'd ort to be satisfied, I drug down
most of the other money--all but the ropin', an' I'd of had that if it
hadn't of be'n fer Tex Benton's luck. An' he'll win ag'in, chances
is--if his cinch holds. Here he comes now; him an' that breed. They
hain't never no more'n a rope's len'th apart. Tex must have somethin'
on him the way he dogs him around."

The girl followed his glance to the Texan who approached accompanied by
Bat Lajune and a cowboy who led from the horn of his saddle a
blaze-faced bay with a roman nose. As the three drew nearer the girl
could see the mocking smile upon his lips as his eyes rested for a
moment on Purdy. "I don't like that man," she said, as though speaking
to herself, "and yet----"

"Plenty others don't like him, too," growled Purdy. "I'm glad he's
draw'd that roman nose, 'cause he's the out-buckin'est outlaw that ever
grow'd hair--him an' that pinto, yonder, that's hangin' back on the
rope."

The Texan drew up directly in front of the lumber pile and ignoring
Purdy entirely, raised his Stetson to the girl. The direct cutting of
Purdy had been obviously rude and Alice Marcum felt an increasing
dislike for the man. She returned his greeting with a perfunctory nod
and instantly felt her face grow hot with anger. The Texan was
laughing at her--was regarding her with an amused smile.

A yell went up from the crowd and out on the flat beyond the Texan, a
horse, head down and back humped like an angry cat, was leaping into
the air and striking the ground stiff-legged in a vain effort to shake
the ri