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〃We'll be pleased to show you over the place； Mr。 Bannister。 As it
happens； we are close to the hospital。 Shall we begin there？〃
Her cool； silken defiance earned a smile from the visitor。 〃All your
cases doing well； ma'am？〃
〃It's very kind of you to ask。 I suppose you take an interest because
they are YOUR cases； too； in a way of speaking？〃
〃Mine？ Indeed！〃
〃Yes。 If it were not for you I'm afraid our hospital would be empty。〃
〃It must be right pleasant to be nursed by Miss Messiter。 I reckon the
boys are grateful to me for scattering my lead so promiscuous。〃
〃I heard one say he would like to lam your haid tenderly；〃 murmured
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McWilliams。
〃With a two…by…four； I suppose；〃 laughed Bannister。
〃Shouldn't wonder。 But； looking y'u over casual； it occurs to me he
might get sick of his job befo' he turned y'u loose；〃 McWilliams admitted；
with a glance of admiration at the clean power showing in the other's
supple lines。
Nor could either the foreman or his mistress deny the tribute of their
respect to the bravado of this scamp who sat so jauntily his seat regardless
of what the next moment might bring forth。 Three wounded men were
about the place； all presumably quite willing to get a clean shot at him in
the open。 One of them had taken his chance already； and missed。 Their
visitor had no warrant for knowing that a second might not any instant try
his luck with better success。 Yet he looked every inch the man on
horseback； no whit disturbed； not the least conscious of any danger。 Tall；
spare； broad shouldered； this berry…brown young man； crowned with
close…cropped curls； sat at the gates of the enemy very much at his insolent
case。
〃I came over to pay my party call；〃 he explained。
〃It really wasn't necessary。 A run in the machine is not a formal
function。〃
〃Maybe not in Kalamazoo。〃
〃I thought perhaps you had come to get my purse and the sixty…three
dollars；〃 she derided。
〃No； ma'am； nor yet to get that bunch of cows I was going to rustle
from you to buy an auto。 I came to ask you to go riding with me。〃
The audacity of it took her breath。 Of all the outrageous things she had
ever heard； this was the cream。 An acknowledged outlaw； engaged in feud
with her retainers over that deadly question of the run of the range； he had
sauntered over to the ranch where lived a dozen of his enemies； three of
them still scarred with his bullets； merely to ask her to go riding with him。
The magnificence of his bravado almost obliterated its impudence。 Of
course she would not think of going。 The idea！ But her eyes glowed with
appreciation of his courage； not the less because the consciousness of it
was so conspicuously absent from his manner。
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〃I think not； Mr。 Bannister〃 and her face almost imperceptibly
stiffened。 〃I don't go riding with strangers； nor with men who shoot my
boys。 And I'll give you a piece of advice； sir。 That is； to burn the wind back
to your home。 Otherwise I won't answer for your life。 My punchers don't
love you； and I don't know how long I can keep them from you。 You're not
wanted here any more than you were at the dance the other evening。〃
McWilliams nodded。 〃That's right。 Y'u better roll your trail； seh； and if
y'u take my advice； you'll throw gravel lively。 I seen two of the boys
cutting acrost that pasture five minutes ago。 They looked as if they might
be haided to cut y'u off； and I allow it may be their night to howl。 Miss
Messiter don't want to be responsible for y'u getting lead poisoning。〃
〃Indeed！〃 Their visitor looked politely interested。 〃This solicitude for
me is very touching。 I observe that both of you are carefully blocking me
from the bunkhouse in order to prevent another practice…shot。 If I can't
persuade you to join me in a ride； Miss Messiter； I reckon I'll go while I'm
still unpunctured。〃 He bowed； and gathered the reins for departure。
〃One moment！ Mr。 McWilliams and I are going with you；〃 the girl
announced。
〃Changed your mind？ Think you'll take a little pasear； after all？〃
〃I don't want to be responsible for your killing。 We'll see you safe off
the place；〃 she answered curtly。
The foreman fell in on one side of Bannister； his mistress on the other。
They rode in close formation； to lessen the chance of an ambuscade。
Bannister alone chatted at his debonair ease； ignoring the responsibility
they felt for his safety。
〃I got my ride； after all；〃 he presently chuckled。 〃To be sure； I wasn't
expecting Mr。 McWilliams to chaperon us。 But that's an added pleasure。〃
〃Would it be an added pleasure to get bumped off to kingdom come？〃
drawled the foreman； giving a reluctant admiration to his aplomb。
〃Thinking of those willing boys of yours again； are you？〃 laughed
Bannister。 〃They're ce'tainly a heap prevalent with their hardware； but
their hunting don't seem to bring home any meat。〃
〃By the way； how IS your ankle； Mr。 Bannister？ I forgot to ask。〃 This
shot from the young woman。
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He enjoyed it with internal mirth。 〃They did happen on the target that
time；〃 he admitted。 〃Oh； it's getting along fine； but I aim to do most of my
walking on horseback for a while。〃
They swept past the first dangerous grove of cottonwoods in safety；
and rounded the boundary fence corner。
〃They're in that bunch of pines over there；〃 said the foreman； after a
single sweep of his eyes in that direction。
〃Yes； I see they are。 You oughtn't to let your boys wear red bandannas
when they go gunning； Miss Messiter。 It's an awful careless habit。〃
Helen herself could see no sign of life in the group of pines； but she
knew their keen； trained eyes had found what hers could not。 Riding with
one or another of her cowboys； she had often noticed how infallibly they
could read the country for miles around。 A scattered patch on a distant
hillside； though it might be a half…hour's ride from them； told them a great
deal more than seemed possible。 To her the dark spots sifted o