Rapidly, with many ejaculations interspersing explosive volleys of
half-intelligible words, Bat acquainted the Texan with the progress of
events. The cowpuncher listened without comment until the other had
finished. Then he turned to Endicott.

"Where'd you learn to shoot?" he asked abruptly.

"I never learned. Until tonight I never had a pistol in my hand."

"You done damned well--to start out with," commented the Texan dryly.

"But, oh, it's horrible!" sobbed the girl, "and it's all my fault!"

"I reckon that's right. It looks like a bad mix-up all around."

"Oh, why didn't you tell me what a _beast_ he was? You knew all the
time. And when you insulted him I thought you were _horrid_! And I
thought he was so noble when he refrained from shooting you."

"No. He wasn't noble, none noticeable--Purdy wasn't. An' as for me
tellin' you about him--answer me square: Would you have believed me?"

The girl's eyes fell before his steady gaze.

"No," she faltered, "I wouldn't. But isn't there something we can do?
Some way out of this awful mess?"

The Texan's eyes flashed a glint of daring. He was thinking rapidly.
Endicott moved his horse closer to the cowboy. "Can't you manage to
get _her_ away--onto a train some place so she can avoid the annoyance
of having to testify at the trial, and submit to the insulting remarks
of your sheriff?"

The girl interrupted him: "Winthrop Adams Endicott, if you dare to even
think _such_ a thing--I'll never speak to you again! Indeed he _won't_
take me away or put me on any train! I got you into this, and I won't
budge one inch until you get out of it. What do I care for a little
annoyance--and as for the sheriff, I'll say 'boo' at him in the dark
and he'll die."

There was a gleam of approval in the eyes of the Texan as his lips
twisted into their peculiar cynical smile. "Spunky little devil," he
thought to himself. "There's a chance to pull a play here somewhere
that'll make me solid with her all right. I got to have time to
think." Aloud he said: "Just you leave things to me. I'll get a line
on what's what. But you both got to do as I say, an' no augerin' about
it neither. It looks from here as if things could be straightened out
if someone don't go to work an' ball the jack. An' as for Sam passin'
insultin' remarks no more--he won't. Here he comes now with about half
Wolf River for a posse." The cowboy turned to Endicott: "You go 'long
with 'em an'