y collapsing where he stood
as though his bones were little by little melting within him. Blenham
laughed harshly.

"Drunker'n a boiled owl," he grunted. "But jus' the same sober enough
to know----"

"Dad!" cried Terry a second time, out in the road beside him now, her
arms belting his slacking body. "It isn't just that. You----"

"Sick," moaned Temple weakly. "God knows--he's been hounding me to
death--I don't know--I wanted to stop, to rest back there but--I'm
afraid that----"

He broke off panting. Steve jumped out and slipped his own arms about
the wilting form.

"Let me get him into the car," he said gently. And when he had lifted
Temple and placed him in the seat he added quietly: "You'd better hurry
on I think. Get a doctor for him. I'll follow on his horse."

Terry flashed him a look of gratitude, took her place at the wheel and
started down grade. Her father at her side continued to settle in his
place as long as Steve kept him in sight.

"Well?" growled Blenham, his voice ugly and baffled and throaty with
his rage. "You butt in again, do you?"

Steve swung up into the saddle just now vacated by Temple.

"Yes," he retorted coolly. "And I'm in to stay, too, if you want to
know, Blenham. To the finish."

With only the width of a narrow road between them they stared at each
other. Then Blenham jeered:

"Oho! It's the skirt, huh? Stuck on her yourself, are you?"

Steve frowned, but met his piercing look with level contempt.

"Your language is inelegant, friend Blenham," he said slowly. "Like
yourself it is better withdrawn from public notice. As to your
meaning--why, by thunder, I half believe you are right! And I hadn't
thought of it!"

Blenham caught In one of his rare bursts of heady rage shook his fist
high above his head and cried out savagely:

"I'll beat you yet, the both of you! See if I don't. Yes you an' your
crowd an' him an' her an'----"

"Don't take on too many all at once," suggested Steve.

Only the tail of his eye was on Blenham; he was looking wonderingly and
a bit wistfully down the moonlit, empty road.

"I got him where I want him right now," snarled Blenham. "An'
her--I'll have her, too, where I want her! An', inside less time than
you'd think I'll have----"

But he clamped his big mouth tight shut, glared at Steve a moment and
then, striking with spur and quirt together, so that his frightened
horse leaped out frantically, he was gone down the roa