Pagina 349 de 439

"All right. We'll call it a week. If he's still here a week from

to-day, there will be trouble."

With that, he turned on his heel and left the room. They heard

his spurs trailing across the porch and jingling down the steps,

after which they caught a momentary vision of him, dark and

sinister, as his horse flashed past the window.

The ranger smiled, but rather seriously. "The fat's in the fire

now, sure enough, ma'am."

She turned anxiously upon him. "Why did you tell him all that?

Why did you let him go away, believing you were here as a spy to

trap him and his friends?"

"I let him have the truth. Anyhow, I couldn't have made good with

a denial. He had the evidence. I can't keep him from believing

what he wants to."

"He'll tell all his friends. He'll exaggerate the facts and stir

up sentiment against you. He'll say you came here as a detective,

to get evidence against the Squaw Creek raiders."

"Then he'll tell the truth!"