closely than ever. He opened his safe
frequently to see that it was there.

As a whole, then, things were not breaking so badly, Bill figured. To be
sure, it would have cleared things permanently if Jim McFann had done as
he had been told, instead of weakening in such unexpected and absurd
fashion. Bringing that girl into camp, as Jim had done, had given
Talpers the most unpleasant surprise of his life. He had come out of the
affair luckily. The letter was what had done it all. He would lie low
and keep an eye on affairs from now on. McFann would have no difficulty
in shifting for himself out in the sagebrush, now that he was alone.
Bill would see that he got grub and even a little whiskey occasionally,
but there would be no more assignments for him in which women were
concerned, for the half-breed had too tender a heart for his own good!

The Indian agent stopped at Bill's store occasionally, on his way to and
from the Greek Letter Ranch. Their conversation ran mostly to trade and
minor affairs of life in general. Even the weather was fallen back upon
in case some one happened to be within earshot, which was usually the
case, as Bill's store was seldom empty. No one who heard them would
suspect that the men were watching, weighing, and fathoming each other
with all the nicety at individual command. Talpers was always wondering
just how much the Indian agent knew, and Lowell was saying to himself:

"This scoundrel has some knowledge in his possession which vitally
affects the young woman I love. Also he is concerned, perhaps deeply, in
the murder on the Dollar Sign road. Yet he has fortified himself so well
in his villainy that he feels secure."

For all his increased feeling of security, Talpers was wise enough to
let the bottle alone and also to do no boasting. Likewise he stuck
faithfully to his store--so faithfully that it became a matter of public
comment.

"If Bill sticks much closer to this store he's goin' to fall into a
decline," said Andy Wolters, who had been restored to favor in the
circle of cowpunchers that lolled about Talpers's place. "He's gettin' a
reg'lar prison pallor now. He used to be hittin' the trail once in a
while, but nowadays he's hangin' around that post-office section as if
he expected a letter notifyin' him that a rich uncle had died."

"Mebbe he's afraid of travelin' these parts since that feller was killed
on the Dollar Sign," suggested another cowboy. "Doggoned if I don't feel
a l