"All you got to say is where did you get that money," cried Buck, who
had seen Dick Lane pay it to Payson, and conjectured that Payson did
not dare to reveal the fact of this payment, with all the disclosure it
implied.

"Why, it was paid to me by--" Then Jack stopped. He could not tell
who gave him the money without revealing to Echo the return of Dick.
The whole miserable lie would then come out. Echo noticed Jack's
hesitancy.

"What is it--what's the matter?" she asked, in frightened tones.

"Nothing, nothing," he answered lightly, to lessen her terror.

"Hats off, everybody," commanded Slim, in deference to the presence of
Echo.

"Who are these men--what's wrong?" pleaded Echo.

Buck bowed to the trembling woman, who had thrown her arms about her
husband's neck.

"Nothin'," he exclaimed. "Only we want to know where your husband got
the money to pay off the mortgage on this ranch."

The request seemed a very simple one to Echo. All the talk of harming
Jack, the high words, the threats, could be silenced easily by her
hero. Smiling into his eyes, Echo said: "Tell them, Jack."

"I can't," he faltered.

"It was paid to him by a friend," bravely began Echo. "A friend to
whom he lent it some time ago."

Buck interrupted her explanation. "Then let him tell his friend's
name, and where we can find him." Turning to Jack, he bullied: "Come
on--what's his name?"

Jack closed his eyes to shut out the sight of his wife. In his agony
he clenched his fists, until his nails sank into the flesh. "I can't
tell you that," he cried, in misery.

"Of course he can't," sneered Buck, smiling evilly in his triumph.

"He can't account for himself on the night of the weddin'; he rides a
pacin' horse--rode on that night; he gets three thousan' dollars paid
him, and he can't tell who paid it; what's the verdict?" Buck did not
wait for an answer. Raising his voice, he shouted: "Guilty."

"Damn you," bellowed Sage-brush, lunging toward him, only to be held in
restraint by his associates.

"Jack! Jack! what have you to say?" begged Echo.

"Nothing," was his only answer.

"Tell him he lies!" cried Sage-brush. "Jack, we all know you--you're
as white a man as ever lived, an' they ain't one of this outfit that
ain't ready to die for you right now--"

"You bet!" chorused his men.

"He ain't goin' to get off like that," declared Buck. Looking
confidently at his own followers, he said: "The Lazy K can take care