up for me. Here it
is, and I'm willing to sign it."

She drew out the paper and Wiley read it silently, then rolled it into a
ball and chucked it into the corner.

"No," he said, "that offer doesn't hold. I didn't know you then."

"Well, you know me now!" she flashed back resentfully, "and you'd better
come through with that money. I've taken enough off of you and your
father without standing for any more of your gall. Now you write me out
a check for twenty thousand dollars and here's my two hundred thousand
shares. I know you're robbing me but I simply can't endure it--I can't
stay here a single day longer!"

She burst into angry tears as he shook his head and regarded her with
steady eyes.

"No," he said, "you can't do business that way. I haven't got twenty
thousand dollars."

"But--you offered it to me! You wrote out this paper and put it right
under my eyes----"

"No," he said, "I never offered you twenty thousand--I offered to take
an option at that price. I wanted to see that mine, and I wanted to see
it peaceably, and I thought I could do it that way; but that piece of
paper simply gave me the option of buying the stock if I wanted to."

"Well, you wanted to buy the stock--you were crazy to get hold of
it--and now, when I'm willing, you won't take it!"

"No, that's right," agreed Wiley, leaning back against his pillow. "And
now, what are you going to do about it?"

"I'm going to kill you!" shrieked the Widow in a frenzy. "I'm going to
_make_ you take it! I declare, it seems like every single soul is
against me--and me a poor helpless woman!"

She sank back in a chair and began to sob hysterically and Wiley looked
about for the old shotgun. It was far too short, but it had served once
as a crutch, and in a pinch it must serve him again. Keno was no place
for him, he saw that very plainly, and it was better to risk the long
drive across the desert than to stay with this weeping virago. If she
didn't kill him then she would kill him later, and he was powerless to
strike back in defense. She would take advantage of every immunity of
her sex to obtain her own way in the end. He located the gun--it was
down behind his bed where he had dropped it when they helped him in--but
as he was fishing it up the door burst open and Virginia stood looking
at her mother. Behind her appeared Death Valley Charley, his eyes
blinking fearfully; but at sight of the Widow he ducked around the
corner while Virginia came re