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〃Well？〃
His roving eye circled blandly round。 〃I stand about one show in a
million。 Y'u roughnecks are dead ones already。〃
With which cold comfort he sauntered away to join Miss Messiter and
the foreman； who now appeared together at the door of the ranchhouse；
prepared to make a tour of the buildings and the immediate corrals。
〃Isn't there a woman on the place？〃 she was asking Morgan。
〃No'm； there ain't。 Henderson's daughter would come and stay with y'u
a while I reckon。〃
〃Please send for her at once； then； and ask her to come to…day。〃
〃All right。 I'll send one of the boys right away。〃
〃How did y'u leave 'Frisco； ma'am？〃 asked Mac； by way of including
himself easily。
〃He's resting quietly。 Unless blood…poisoning sets in they ought all to
do well。〃
〃It's right lucky for them y'u happened along。 This is the hawss corral；
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ma'am；〃 explained the young man just as Morgan opened his thin lips to
tell her。
Judd contrived to get rid of him promptly。 〃Slap on a saddle； Mac； and
run up the remuda so Miss Messiter can see the hawsses for herself；〃 he
ordered。
〃Mebbe she'd rather ride down and look at the bunch；〃 suggested the
capable McWilliams。
As it chanced； she did prefer to ride down the pasture and look over
the place from on horseback。 She was in love with her ranch already。 Its
spacious distances； the thousands of cattle and the horses； these
picturesque retainers who served her even to the shedding of an enemy's
blood； they all struck an answering echo in her gallant young heart that
nothing in Kalamazoo had been able to stir。 She bubbled over with
enthusiasm； the while Morgan covertly sneered and McWilliams warmed
to the untamed youth in her。
〃What about this man Bannister？〃 she flung out suddenly； after they
had cantered back to the house when the remuda had been inspected。
Her abrupt question brought again the short； tense silence she had
become used to expect。
〃He runs sheep about twenty or thirty miles southwest of here；〃
explained McWilliams； in a carefully casual tone。
〃So everybody tells me； but it seems to me he spills a good deal of
lead on my men；〃 she answered impatiently。 〃What's the trouble？〃
〃Last week he crossed the dead…line with a bunch of five thousand
sheep。〃
〃Who draws this dead…line？〃
〃The cattlemen got together and drew it。 Your uncle was one of those
that marked it off； ma'am。〃
〃And Bannister crossed it？〃
〃Yes； ma'am。 Yesterday 'Frisco come on him and one of his herders
with a big bunch of them less than fifteen miles from here。 He didn't know
it was Bannister； and took a pot…shot at him。 'Course Bannister came back
at him； and he got Frisco in the laig。〃
〃Didn't know it was Bannister？ What difference WOULD that make？〃
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she said impatiently。
Mac laughed。 〃What difference would it make； Judd？〃
Morgan scowled； and the young man answered his own question。 〃We
don't any of us go out of our way more'n a mile to cross Bannister's trail；〃
he drawled。
〃Do you wear this for an ornament？ Are you upholstered with
hardware to catch the eyes of some girl？〃 she asked； touching with the end
of her whip the revolver in the holster strapped to his chaps。
His serene； gay smile flashed at her。 〃Are y'u ordering me to go out
and get Ned Bannister's scalp？〃
〃No； I am not；〃 she explained promptly。 〃What I am trying to discover
is why you all seem to be afraid of one man。 He is only a man； isn't he？〃
A veil of ice seemed to fall over the boyish face and leave it chiseled
marble。 His unspeaking eyes rested on the swarthy foreman as he
answered：
〃I don't know what he is； ma'am。 He may be one man； or he may be a
hundred。 What's more； I ain't particularly suffering to find out。 Fact is； I
haven't lost any Bannisters。〃
The girl became aware that her foreman was looking at her with a
wary silent vigilance sinister in its intensity。
〃In short； you're like the rest of the people in this section。 You're
afraid。〃
〃Now y'u're shoutin'； Miss Messiter。 I sure am when it comes to
shootin' off my mouth about Bannister。〃
〃And you； Mr。 Morgan？〃
It struck her that the young puncher waited with a curious interest for
the answer of the foreman。
〃Did it look like I was afraid this mawnin'； ma'am？〃 he asked； with
narrowed eyes。
〃No； you all seemed brave enough then； when you had him eight to
one。〃
〃I wasn't there；〃 hastily put in McWilliams。 〃I don't go gunning for my
man without giving him a show。〃
〃I do；〃 retorted Morgan cruelly。 〃I'd go if we was fifty to one。 We'd 'a'
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got him； too； if it hadn't been for Miss Messiter。 'Twas a chance we ain't
likely to get again for a year。〃
〃It wasn't your fault you didn't kill him； Mr。 Morgan；〃 she said；
looking hard at him。 〃You may be interested to know that your last shot
missed him only about six inches； and me about four。〃
〃I didn't know who you were；〃 he sullenly defended。
〃I see。 You only shoot at women when you don't know who they are。〃
She turned her back on him pointedly and addressed herself to
McWilliams。 〃You can tell the men working on this ranch that I won't have
any more such attacks on this man Bannister。 I don't care what or who he
is。 I don't propose to have him murdered by my employees。 Let the law
take him and hang him。 Do you hear？〃
〃I ce'tainly do； and the boys will get the word straight；〃 he replied。
〃I take it since yuh are giving your orders through Mac； yuh don't need
me any longer for your foreman；〃 bullied Morgan。
〃You take it right； sir；〃 came her crisp reply。 〃McWilliams will be my
foreman from to…day。〃
The man's face； malignant and wolfish； suddenly lost its mask。 That
she would so promptly call his bluff was the last thing he had expected。
〃That's all right。 I reckon yuh think yuh know your own business； but I'll
put it to yuh straight。 Long as yuh live you'll be sorry for this。〃