ones he had developed a sincere affection
for the man. The grief in his heart over Rope's death was made more
poignant because of the latter's words, just before the final moment,
which seemed to have been a plea for vengeance:

"Ferguson told me to look out. He told me to be careful that they
didn't get me between them. But I wasn't thinkin' that it would happen
just that way."

This had been all that Rope had said about his friend, but it showed
that during his last conscious moments he had been thinking of the
stray-man. As the days passed the words dwelt continually in
Ferguson's mind. Each day that he rode abroad, searching for evidence
against the murderers, brought him a day nearer to the vengeance upon
which he had determined.

CHAPTER XVI

LEVIATT TAKES A STEP

Miss Radford was sitting on the flat rock on the hill where she had
written the first page of her novel. The afternoon sun was coming
slantwise over the western mountains, sinking steadily toward the rift
out of which came the rose veil that she had watched many times. She
had just completed a paragraph in which the villain appears when she
became aware of someone standing near. She turned swiftly, with
heightened color, to see Leviatt.

His sudden appearance gave her something of a shock, for as he stood
there, smiling at her, he answered perfectly the description she had
just written. He might have just stepped from one of her pages. But
the shock passed, leaving her a little pale, but quite composed--and
not a little annoyed. She had found her work interesting; she had
become quite absorbed in it. Therefore she failed to appreciate
Leviatt's sudden appearance, and with uptilted chin turned from him and
pretended an interest in the rim of hills that surrounded the flat.

For an instant Leviatt stood, a frown wrinkling his forehead. Then
with a smile he stepped forward and seated himself beside her on the
rock. She immediately drew her skirts close to her and shot a
displeased glance at him from the corners of her eyes. Then seeing
that he still sat there, she moved her belongings a few feet and
followed them. He could not doubt the significance of this move, but
had he been wise he might have ignored it. A woman's impulses will
move her to rebuke a man, but if he will accept without comment he may
be reasonably sure of her pity, and pity is a path of promise.

But the range boss neglected his opportunity. He made the m