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In the mountains no girl had her photograph taken beside a man unless they had a special interest in each other. And the manner of these two had implied the possession of a secret not known to the world. So Arlie froze her heart toward the Texan, all the more because he had touched her girlish imagination to sweet hidden dreams of which her innocence had been unnecessarily ashamed.
Not the slightest sound, not the smallest motion of the moonlit underbrush, escaped his unwavering scrutiny. The problem before him was to hold the attackers long enough for Arlie and her father to make their escape, without killing any of them or getting killed himself.
Yes, ma'am, I'm going to quit. I serve notice right here. What's the use of having a good ranch and some cattle if you can't enjoy them?" As the doctor had been serving notice of his intention to quit doctoring for over ten years, Arlie did not take him too seriously.
"I don't know how I came to do it," the girl continued. "Jed had made me suspicious of him, and then I found out something fine he had done for me. I wanted him to know I trusted him. That was the first thing I thought of, and I told it. He tried to stop me, but I'm such an impulsive little fool." "We all make breaks, Arlie. You'll not do it again, anyhow," France comforted.
Swiftly Arlie stripped saddle, bridle, and blanket from her pony and flung them down as a contribution to the general disorder, and at her suggestion Fraser did the same. A half-grown lad came running to herd the horses into a corral close at hand. "I want you when you've finished feeding, Bobbie," Arlie told the lad. Then briefly to her guest: "This way, please."
To the girl who stepped to the porch to meet them they gave friendly greeting. One of them asked: "How're things coming, Arlie?" "Better and better every day, Dick. Yesterday the doctor said he was out of danger." "It's been a tough fight for Steve," the other broke in. "Proper nursing is what pulled him through. Doc says so." "Did he say that, Alec? I'll always think it was doc.
He fought for that life mighty hard, boys." Alec Howard nodded: "Doc Lee's the stuff. Here he comes now, talking of angels." Doctor Lee dismounted and grinned. "Which of you lads is she making love to now?" Arlie laughed. "He can't understand that I don't make love to anybody but him," she explained to the younger men. "She never did to me, doc," Dick said regretfully.
"You better go, Arlie," her father counseled weakly. "Well, I won't," she retorted emphatically. The old man looked whimsically at the Texan. "Yo' see yo'self how it is, stranger." Fraser saw, and the girl's stanchness stirred his admiration even while it irritated him. He made his decision immediately. "All right. Both of you go." "But we have only one horse," the girl objected.
That brings up another question, Steve. What about the Squaw Creek sheep raiders? Just for argument, we'll put it that some of them are my friends. You understand just for argument. Are you still aiming to run them down?" Fraser met his frank question frankly. "No, Alec, I've had to give up that notion long since soon as I began to guess they were friends of Miss Arlie.
Doctor Lee presently came out and pronounced that the wounded man was doing well. "Wants to see you boys. Don't stay more than half an hour. If they get in your way, sweep 'em out, Arlie." The cowpunchers entered the sick room with the subdued, gingerly tread of professional undertakers. "I ain't so had as that yet, boys," the patient laughed. "You're allowed to speak above a whisper.
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