thought of confiding in Jim Allen. He
regretted that he had touched so dangerously near the subject of Dick
Lane's return in talking to Bud and Polly. His burning desire was to be
safely married to Echo Allen before the inevitable return of her former
lover.

"Fool that I was not to ask her one more question: Would she forgive
her husband where she would not forgive her lover? What will she think
of me when all is discovered, as it surely will be? Well, I must take
my chances. Events will decide."

On his return to Sweetwater Ranch he put the place in charge of his new
foreman, Sage-brush Charlie, and went out to a hunting-cabin he had
built in the Tortilla Mountains. Here he fought the problem over with
his conscience--and his selfishness won. He returned, fixed in his
decision to suppress Dick Lane's letter, and to go ahead with the
marriage.

CHAPTER IV

The Hold-up

Riding hard into Florence from Sweetwater Ranch Bud Lane hunted up Buck
McKee at his favorite gambling-joint, and, in a white heat of
indignation informed him in detail of everything that had passed
between Payson and himself. At once McKee inferred that the writer of
the letter was none other than Dick Lane. Realizing that Payson was
already informed of his villainy, and that in a very short time Dick
Lane himself would make his appearance on the Sweetwater, the
half-breed concluded to make a bold move while he yet retained the
confidence of Bud.

"Bud," he said, "I know the man who is sendin' the money to Payson.
It's Dick, your brother."

"But," stammered Bud, his brain whirling, "if that's so, you lied about
the Apaches killing him you--why you--must have been the renegade, the
devil who tortured prospectors."

"Why, Bud, Dick never wrote all that dime-novel nonsense about the man
who stood by him to--well, not the very last, for Dick has managed
somehow to pull through--probably he was saved by the Rurales that were
chasin' the band that rounded us up. No, it's Payson, Jack Payson,
that made up that pack of lies, just to keep you away from me, the man
that was last with Dick and so may get on to Jack's game and block it."

"Game! what game?" asked Bud, bewildered.

"Why, you told me it yourself--to marry Dick's girl, and live on Dick's
hard-earned money."

"But Dick borrowed the three thousand of Jack," objected Bud.

"Well, the dollars he borrowed have all gone, ain't they? And the
money he's sendin' back Dick dug out