ys be a looker on at life--the village life. Kate--Kate
was part of it.

He sighed, and a look of almost desperate worry crossed his dark,
good-looking face. His thoughts seemed to disturb him painfully. Ever
since he had heard of Inspector Fyles's coming to the village a sort
of depression had settled like a cloud upon him--a depression he could
not shake off. Fyles was the last man he wished to see in Rocky
Springs--for several reasons.

He was reluctantly about to turn away, and pass on down to his
corrals, which were situated on the slope beside the house. There was
work to be done there, some repairs, which he had intended to start
early that morning. They had been neglected so long, as were many
things to do with his ranch.

With this intention he moved toward the end of the veranda, but his
progress was abruptly arrested by the sight of two horsemen in the
distance making their way down toward the village. For awhile he only
caught odd glimpses of them through the trees, but at last they
reached the main road of the village, and halted in full, though
somewhat distant, view of his house.

In a moment the identity of one of the men became certain in his mind.
In spite of the man's civilian clothing he recognized the easy poise
in the saddle of Inspector Fyles. He had seen him so many times at
comparatively close range that he was sure he could not be mistaken.

The sight of the police officer banished all his interest in the
identity of the second horseman. A dark look of bitter, anxious
resentment crept into his eyes, and all the mildness, all the
gentleness vanished out of his expressive features. They had suddenly
grown hard and cold. He knew that trouble was knocking at the door of
Rocky Springs. He knew that his own peace of mind could never be
restored so long as the shadow of Stanley Fyles hovered over the
village.

Presently he saw the two horsemen part. Fyles rode on down toward the
village while the other turned westwards, but the now hot eyes of the
watching man followed only the figure of the unwelcome policeman until
it was lost to view beyond the intervening bush.

As the officer disappeared the rancher made a gesture of fierce anger.

"Kate, Kate," he cried, raising his clenched fists as though about to
strike the unconscious horseman, "if I lose you through him,
I'll--I'll kill him."

Now he hurried away down to the corrals with the air of a man who is
endeavoring to escape from himself