e. Moreover, the girl was afraid of him. He could tell that by
the timid startled way she had of answering. Now why need she fear the
man? It would be as much as his life was worth to lift a hand to hurt
her.

After the doctor had come and had attended to the crushed wrist Curly
stepped out to the porch to find Laura. She was watering her roses and he
went across the yard to her.

"I'm right sorry for what I said, Miss Laura. Once in a while a fellow
makes a mistake. If he's as big a chump as I am it's liable to happen a
little oftener. But I'm not really one of those smart guys."

Out came her gloved hand in the firmest of grips.

"I know that now. You didn't think. And I made a mistake. I thought you
were taking advantage because I had been friendly. I'm glad you spoke
about it. We'll forget it."

"Then maybe we'll be friends after all, but I sha'n't tell you what my
friends call me," he answered gaily.

She laughed out in a sudden bubbling of mirth. "Take care."

"Oh, I will. I won't even spell it."

He helped her with the watering. Presently she spoke, with a quick look
toward the house.

"There's something I want to say."

"Yes."

"Something I want you to do for me."

"I expect maybe I'll do it."

She said nothing more for a minute, then the thing that was troubling her
burst from the lips of the girl as a flame leaps out of a pent fire.

"It's about that boy he has up there." She gave a hopeless little gesture
toward the hills.

"Sam Cullison?"

"Yes."

"What about him?"

"He's bent on ruining him, always has been ever since he got a hold on
him. I can't tell you how I know it, but I'm sure---- And now he's more
set on it than ever."

Curly thought he could guess why, but he wanted to make sure. "Because you
are Sam's friend?"

The pink flooded her cheeks. "Yes."

"And because you won't be Soapy Stone's friend?"

She flashed a startled look at him. "How do you know?"

"Jealous, is he?"

Her face, buried in the blooms she had been cutting, was of the same tint
as the roses.

"And so he wants to hurt you through him?" Flandrau added.

"Yes. If he can drag Sam down and get him into trouble he'll pay off two
grudges at once. And he will too. You'll see. He's wily as an Indian. For
that matter there is Apache blood in him, folks say."

"What about young Cullison? Can't he make a fight for himself?"

"Oh, you know how boys are. Sam is completely under this man's influence."
Her voi