face, when
it had meant deadly danger for him.

"When a man has somethin' as belongs to him, he doesn't step aside easy if
another makes a play to grab it," he said.

For the first time then he did see a flicker in Shannon's eyes. And his
hand tightened so on the reins that some fraction of his reaction must
have reached Shiloh. The horse neighed, pawed with a forefoot.

"Just what I've always thought, too, Kirby." Shannon's voice was softer,
more drawling than ever. And there was menace in it--but why? What did
Shannon have against him? This was more now than the fact that they had
both bristled, incompatible, at their first meeting. It was more than just
instinctive dislike. No, Johnny Shannon was not a reckless boy; Drew Kirby
knew that, if no one else on the Range did.

"_Coronel_"--Shannon stepped aside from the door--"we may not be able to git
you somethin' as fine as this here prancer, but we ain't altogether
lackin' in mighty good hosses. Come 'long an' look 'em over...."

Drew rode off, out of the patio gate, giving Shiloh his daily workout,
trying to guess what Johnny Shannon had against him. Had he been right in
his fear that Johnny had not been unconscious back in Tubacca, that he had
caught Anse's greeting? Rennie was not too common a name, but he did not
see how Johnny could possibly have hit upon the truth.

What if he had, though? To Johnny, Drew could loom as a threat. He might
be baffled as to why the Kentuckian had not made a move to claim kinship
with Hunt. How much of Rennie's own past history was known to the people
here? His escape from prison during the Mexican War was common knowledge.
But, come to think of it, no one had mentioned his youthful marriage or
the fact that he was a widower. Perhaps even Johnny had never heard that
story, close to Hunt as he was. But Drew dared ask no questions.

He was still puzzling over the situation when he returned an hour later.
Nye, Anse, and a couple of the other riders had some of the recently
broken mounts out, showing them off to Oliveri. There was shouting, noise,
and confusion around the corrals and Drew slipped past without pausing. He
had finished with Shiloh and was on his way to the bunkhouse when Hunt
Rennie hailed him.

"Drew!" An imperative wave of the hand brought him to join _Don_ Cazar and
to discover Anse already there, rolling his bed. For a second or two Drew
blinked--the occupation fitted in too well with their worries of the night