aid Brocky. "Feeling fine."

Norton gave her a cup of warm water to wash her hands. Then she made a
second, very careful examination of Brocky's wound, cleansing it and
adjusting a fresh bandage.

"I want to start in half an hour," said the sheriff. "There'll be
light enough then so that we can make time getting down to the horses
and yet not enough light to show us up to a chance early rider down
below. Then we'll swing off to the west, make a wide bend, ride
through Las Estrellas and get back into San Juan when we please. That
is you will; I'll leave you outside of Las Estrellas, showing you the
way. And, while we eat, I am going to tell you something."

"About Galloway?" she asked quickly. "Explaining what you meant by
Galloway's hang-out?"

"Yes. And more than that."

For a little she stood, looking at him very gravely. Then she spoke in
utter frankness.

"Mr. Norton, I think that I can see your position; you were so
circumstanced through Mr. Lane's being hurt that you had to bring
either Dr. Patten or me here. You decided it would be wiser to bring
me. There is something of a compliment in that, isn't there?"

"You don't know Caleb Patten yet!" growled Brocky a bit savagely.

"Already it seems to me," she went on, "that you have a pretty hard row
to hoe. It is evident that you have discovered a sort of thieves'
headquarters here; that, for your own reasons, you don't want it known
that you have found it. To say that I am not curious about it all
would be talking nonsense, of course. And yet I can assure you that I
hold you under no obligation whatever to do any explaining. You are
the sheriff and your job is to get results, not to be polite to the
ladies."

But Norton shook his head.

"You know what you know," he said seriously. "I think that if you know
a little more you will more readily understand why we must insist on
keeping our mouths shut . . . all of us."

"In that case," returned the girl, "and before you boil that coffee
into any more hopelessly black a concoction than it already is, I am
ready to drink mine and listen. Coffee, Mr. Lane?"

"Had mine, thanks," answered Brocky. "Spin the yarn, Rod."

Norton put down his frying-pan, the bacon brown and crisp, and rose to
his feet.

"Will you come this way a moment, Miss Page?" he asked. "To begin
with, seeing is believing."

She followed him as she had, last night, back into the cave in which
she had slept. But Norton