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of the rider's hard hand。
〃You've got another friend you can gamble on；〃 said Holley； significantly。
〃Another！ Who？〃
〃Lucy Bostil。 An' don't you fergit thet。 I'll bet she'll raise more trouble
than Bostil when she hears what Joel Creech is tellin'。 Fer she's bound to
hear it。 Van Sickle swears he's a…goin' to tell her an' then beat you up with
a quirt。〃
〃He is； is he？〃 snapped Slone； darkly。
〃I've a hunch Lucy's guessed why you punched Joel。 But she wants to know fer
sure。 Now； Slone； I'll tell her why。〃
〃Oh； don't！〃 said Slone； involuntarily。
〃Wal； it'll be better comin' from you an' me。 Take my word fer thet。 I'll
prepare Lucy。 An' she's as good a scrapper as Bostil； any day。〃
〃It all scares me；〃 replied Slone。 He did feel panicky； and that was from
thoughts of what shame might befall Lucy。 The cold sweat oozed out of every
pore。 What might not Bostil do？ 〃Holley； I love the girl。 So II didn't
insult her。 Bostil will never understand。 An' what's he goin' to do when he
finds out？〃
〃Wal； let's hope you won't git any wuss'n you give Joel。〃
〃Let Bostil beat me！〃 ejaculated Slone。 〃I think I'm willinnowthe way I
feel。 But I've a temper； and Bostil rubs me the wrong way。〃
〃Wall leave your gun home； an' fight Bostil。 You're pretty husky。 Sure he'll
lick you； but mebbe you could give the old cuss a black eye。〃 Holley laughed
as if the idea gave him infinite pleasure。
〃Fight Bostil？ 。 。 。 Lucy would hate me！〃 cried Slone。
〃Nix！ You don't know thet kid。 If the old man goes after you Lucy'll care more
fer you。 She's jest like him in some ways。〃 Holley pulled out a stubby black
pipe and； filling and lighting it； he appeared to grow more thoughtful。 〃It
wasn't only Lucy thet sent me up here to see you。 Bostil had been pesterin' me
fer days。 But I kept fightin' shy of it till Lucy got hold of me。〃
〃Bostil sent you？ Why？〃
〃Reckon you can guess。 He can't sleep； thinkin' about your red hoss。 None of
us ever seen Bostil have sich a bad case。 He raised Sage King。 But he's always
been crazy fer a great wild stallion。 An' here you come alongan' your hoss
jumps the Kingan' there's trouble generally。〃
〃Holley； do you think Wildfire can beat Sage King？〃 asked Slone； eagerly。
〃Reckon I do。 Lucy says so； an' I'll back her any day。 But； son； I ain't
paradin' what I think。 I'd git in bad myself。 Farlane an' the other boys；
they're with Bostil。 Van he's to blame fer thet。 He's takin' a dislike to you；
right off。 An' what he tells Bostil an' the boys about thet race don't agree
with what Lucy tells me。 Lucy says Wildfire ran fiery an' cranky at the start。
He wanted to run round an' kill the King instead of racin'。 So he was three
lengths behind when Macomber dropped the flag。 Lucy says the King got into his
stride。 She knows。 An' there Wildfire comes from behind an' climbs all over
the King！ 。 。 。 Van tells a different story。〃
〃It came off just as Lucy told you；〃 declared Slone。 〃I saw every move。〃
〃Wal； thet's neither here nor there。 What you're up ag'in is this。 Bostil is
sore since you called him。 But he holds himself in because he hasn't given up
hope of gittin' Wildfire。 An'； Slone； you're sure wise； ain't you； thet if
Bostil doesn't buy him you can't stay on here？〃
〃I'm wise。 But I won't sell Wildfire；〃 replied Slone； doggedly。
〃Wal； I'd never wasted my breath tellin' you all this if I hadn't figgered
about Lucy。 You've got her to think of。〃
Slone turned on Holley passionately。 〃You keep hintin' there's a hope for me；
when I know there's none！〃
〃You're only a boy；〃 replied Holley。 〃Son； where there's life there's hope。 I
ain't a…goin' to tell you agin thet I know Lucy Bostil。〃
Slone could not stand nor walk nor keep still。 He was shaking from head to
foot。
〃Wildfire's not mine to sell。 He's Lucy's！〃 confessed Slone。
〃The devil you say！〃 ejaculated Holley； and he nearly dropped his pipe。
〃I gave Wildfire to her。 She accepted him。 It was DONE。 Thenthen I lost my
head an' made her mad。 。 。 。 An'she said she'd ride him in the race； but
wouldn't keep him。 But he IS hers。〃
〃Oho！ I see。 Slone； I was goin' to advise you to sell Wildfire all on
account of Lucy。 You're young an' you'd have a big start in life if you would。
But Lucy's your girl an' you give her the hoss。 。 。 。 Thet settles thet！〃
〃If I go away from here an' leave Wildfire for Lucydo you think she could
keep him？ Wouldn't Bostil take him from her？〃
〃Wal； son； if he tried thet on Lucy she'd jump Wildfire an' hit your trail an'
hang on to it till she found you。〃
〃What'll you tell Bostil？〃 asked Slone； half beside himself。
〃I'm consarned if I know；〃 replied Holley。 〃Mebbe I'll think of some idee。
I'll go back now。 An' say； son； I reckon you'd better hang close to home。 If
you meet Bostil down in the village you two'd clash sure。 I'll come up soon；
but it'll be after dark。〃
〃Holley； all this isis good of you；〃 said Slone。 〃II'll〃
〃Shut up； son；〃 interrupted the rider； dryly。 〃Thet's your only weakness； so
far as I can see。 You say too much。〃
Holley started down then； his long； clinking spurs digging into the steep
path。 He left Slone a prey to deep thoughts at once anxious and dreamy。
Next day Slone worked hard all day； looking forward to nightfall； expecting
that Holley would come up。 He tried to resist the sweet and tantalizing
anticipation of a message from Lucy； but in vain。 The rider had immeasurably
uplifted Slone's hope that Lucy； at least； cared for him。 Not for a moment all
day could Slone drive away the hope。 At twilight he was too eager to eattoo
obsessed to see the magnificent sunset。 But Holley did not come； and Slone
went to bed late； half sick with disappointment。
The next day was worse。 Slone found work irksome； yet he held to it。 On the
third day he rested and dreamed； and grew doubtful again； and then moody。 On
the fourth day Slone found he needed supplies that he must obtain from the
store。 He did not forget Holley's warning； but he disregarded it； thinking
there would scarcely be a chance of meeting Bostil at midday。
There were horses standing； bridles down； before Brackton's place； and riders
lounging at the rail and step。 Some of these men had been pleasant to Slone on
earlier occasions。 This day they seemed not to see him。 Slone was tingling all
over when he went into the store。 Some deviltry was afoot！ He had an angry
thought that these riders could not have minds of their own。 Just inside the
door Slone encountered Wetherby； the young rancher from Durango。 Slone spoke；
but Wetherby only replied with an insolent stare。 Slone did not glance at the
man to whom Wetherby was talking。 Only a few people were inside the store； and
Brackton was waiting upon them。 Slone stood back a little in the shadow。
Brackton had observed his entrance； but did not greet him。 Then Slone
absolutely knew that for him the good will of Bostil's Ford was a thing of the
past。
Presently Brackton was at leisure； but he showed no disposition to attend to
Slone's wants。 Then Slone walked up to the counter and asked for supplies。
〃Have you got the money？〃 asked Brackton； as if addressing one he would not
trust。
〃Yes；〃 replied Slone； growing red under an insult that he knew Wetherby had
heard。
Brackton handed out the supplies and received the money； without a word。 He
held his head down。 It was a singular action for a man used to dealing fairly
with every one。 Slone felt outraged。 He hurried out of the place； with shame
burning him； with his own eyes downcast； and in his hurry he bumped square
into a burly form。 Slone recoiled looked up。 Bostil！ The old rider was eying
him with cool speculation。
〃Wal； are you drunk？〃 he queried； without any particular expression。
Yet the query was to Slone like a blow。 It brought his head up with a jerk；
his glance steady and keen on Bostil's。
〃Bostil； you know I don't drink；〃 he said。
〃A…huh！ I know a lot about you； Slone。 。 。 。 I heard you bought Vorhees's
place； up on the bench。〃
〃Yes。〃
〃Did he tell you it was mortgaged to me for more'n it's worth？〃
〃No； he didn't。〃
〃Did he make over any papers to you？〃
〃No。〃
〃Wal； if it interests you I'll show you papers thet proves the property's
mine。〃
Slone suffered a pang。 The little home had grown dearer and dearer to him。
〃All right； Bostil。 If it's yoursit's yours；〃 he said； calmly enough。
〃I reckon I'd drove you out before this if I hadn't felt we could make a
deal。〃
〃We can't agree on any deal； Bostil；〃 replied Slone； steadily。 It was not what
Bostil said； but the way he said it； the subtle meaning and power behind it；
that gave Slone a sense of menace and peril。 These he had been used to for
years； he could meet them。 But he was handicapped here because it seemed that；
though he could meet Bostil face to face； he could not fight him。 For he was
Lucy's father。 Slone's position； the impotence of it； rendered him less able
to control his temper。
〃Why can't we？〃 demanded Bostil。 〃If you wasn't so touchy we could。 An' let me
say； young feller； thet there's more reason now thet you DO make a deal with
me。〃
〃Deal？ What about？〃
〃About your red hoss。〃
〃Wildfire！ 。 。 。 No deals； Bostil；〃