had not dulled. His cousin could at
first only pick at what was set before her. It seemed heartless to be
sitting down in comfort to so good a supper while her father was in she
knew not how great distress. Grief swelled in her throat, and forced back
the food she was trying to eat.

Mackenzie broke off his story to remonstrate. "This won't do at all, Kate.
If you're going to help find Luck, you've got to keep yourself fit. Now,
you try this chicken, honey."

"I--just can't, Uncle Mac."

"But you need it."

"I know," the girl confessed, and as she said it broke down again into
soft weeping.

Mac let her have her cry out, petting her awkwardly. Presently she dried
her eyes, set at her supper in a businesslike way, heard the story to an
end quietly, and volunteered one heartbroken comment.

"As if father _could_ do such a thing."

The cattleman agreed eagerly. There were times when he was full of doubt
on that point, but he was not going to let her know it.

Curly came into the room, and the girl rose to meet him. He took her
little hand in his tanned, muscular one, and somehow from his grip she
gathered strength. He would do all that could be done to find her father,
just as he had done so much to save her brother.

"I'm so glad you've come," she said simply.

"I'm glad you're glad," he smiled cheerfully.

He knew she had been crying, that she was suffering cruelly, but he
offered her courage rather than maudlin sympathy. Hope seemed to flow
through her veins at the meeting of the eyes. Whatever a man could do for
her would be done by Curly.

They talked the situation over together.

"As it looks to me, we've got to find out two things--first, what has
become of your father, and, second, who did steal that money."

"Now you're talking," Mackenzie agreed. "I always did say you had a good
head, Curly."

"I don't see it yet, but there's some link between the two things. I mean
between the robbery and his disappearance."

"How do you mean?" Kate asked.

"We'll say the robbers were his enemies--some of the Soapy Stone outfit
maybe. They have got him out of the way to satisfy their grudge and to
make people think he did it. Unfortunately there is evidence that makes it
look as if he might have done it--what they call corroborating
testimony."

Billie Mackenzie scratched his gray poll. "Hold on, Curly. This notion of
a link between the hold-up and Luck's leaving is what the other side is
tying to. Don't