e. I can't walk, you know--but--"

"And you carried me out here and did all that and never said a word
about--oh, how good and brave and noble you are!"

When Anderson Crow and half of Tinkletown, routed out _en masse_ by Bud,
appeared on the scene an hour or two later, they found Wicker Bonner
stretched out on a mattress, his head in Rosalie's lap. The young woman
held his revolver in her hand, and there was a look in her face which
said that she would shoot any one who came to molest her charge. Two
helpless desperadoes lay cursing in the corner of the tent.

Anderson Crow, after an hour of deliberation and explanation, fell upon
the bound and helpless bandits and bravely carted the whole lot to the
town "calaboose." Wicker Bonner and his nurse were taken into town, and
the news of the rescue went flying over the county, and eventually to
the four corners of the land, for Congressman Bonner's nephew was a
person of prominence.

Bonner, as he passed up the main street in Peabody's sleigh on the way
to Anderson Crow's home, was the centre of attraction. He was the hero
of the hour, for was not Rosalie Gray herself, pale and ill with
torture, his most devoted slave? What else could Tinkletown do but pay
homage when it saw Bonner's head against her shoulder and Anderson Crow
shouting approval from the bob-sled that carried the kidnapers. The four
bandits, two of them much the worse for the night's contact with Wicker
Bonner, were bundled into the lock-up, a sadly morose gang of ghosts.

"I owe you a thousand dollars," said Anderson to Bonner as they drew up
in front of the marshal's home. All Tinkletown was there to see how Mrs.
Crow and the family would act when Rosalie was restored to them. The
yard was full of gaping villagers, and there was a diffident cheer when
Mrs. Crow rushed forth and fairly dragged Rosalie from the sleigh.
"Blootch" Peabody gallantly interposed and undertook to hand the girl
forth with the grace of a Chesterfield. But Mrs. Crow had her way.

"I'll take it out in board and lodging," grinned Wicker Bonner to
Anderson as two strong men lifted him from the sleigh.

"Where's Bud?" demanded Anderson after the others had entered the house.

"He stayed down to the 'calaboose' to guard the prisoners," said
"Blootch." "Nobody could find the key to the door and nobody else would
stay. They ain't locked in, but Bud's got two revolvers, and he says
they can only escape over his dead body."

CH