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Helen reached the door simultaneously with Roy。 The cowboy
picked up his sombrero； jammed it on his head； gave his belt
a vicious hitch that made the gun…sheath jump； and then in
one giant step he was astride Ranger。
〃Carmichael！ Stay！〃 cried Helen。
The cowboy spurred the black； and the stones rang under
iron…shod hoofs。
〃Bo！ Call him back！ Please call him back！〃 importuned Helen；
in distress。
〃I won't；〃 declared Bo Rayner。 Her face shone whiter now and
her eyes were like fiery flint。 That was her answer to a
loving； gentle…hearted sister； that was her answer to the
call of the West。
〃No use；〃 said Roy； quietly。 〃An' I reckon I'd better trail
him up。〃
He； too； strode out and； mounting his horse； galloped
swiftly away。
It turned out that Bo； was more bruised and scraped and
shaken than she had imagined。 One knee was rather badly cut；
which injury alone would have kept her from riding again
very soon。 Helen； who was somewhat skilled at bandaging
wounds； worried a great deal over these sundry blotches on
Bo's fair skin； and it took considerable time to wash and
dress them。 Long after this was done； and during the early
supper； and afterward； Bo's excitement remained unabated。
The whiteness stayed on her face and the blaze in her eyes。
Helen ordered and begged her to go to bed； for the fact was
Bo could not stand up and her hands shook。
〃Go to bed？ Not much；〃 she said。 〃I want to know what he
does to Riggs。〃
It was that possibility which had Helen in dreadful
suspense。 If Carmichael killed Riggs； it seemed to Helen
that the bottom would drop out of this structure of Western
life she had begun to build so earnestly and fearfully。 She
did not believe that he would do so。 But the uncertainty was
torturing。
〃Dear Bo；〃 appealed Helen； 〃you don't want Oh！ you do
want Carmichael to to kill Riggs？〃
〃No； I don't； but I wouldn't care if he did；〃 replied Bo；
bluntly。
〃Do you think he will？〃
〃Nell； if that cowboy really loves me he read my mind right
here before he left；〃 declared Bo。 〃And he knew what I
thought he'd do。〃
〃And what's that？〃 faltered Helen。
〃I want him to round Riggs up down in the village
somewhere in a crowd。 I want Riggs shown up as the coward；
braggart； four…flush that he is。 And insulted； slapped；
kicked driven out of Pine！〃
Her passionate speech still rang throughout the room when
there came footsteps on the porch。 Helen hurried to raise
the bar from the door and open it just as a tap sounded on
the door…post。 Roy's face stood white out of the darkness。
His eyes were bright。 And his smile made Helen's fearful
query needless。
〃How are you…all this evenin'？〃 he drawled； as he came in。
A fire blazed on the hearth and a lamp burned on the table。
By their light Bo looked white and eager…eyed as she
reclined in the big arm…chair。
〃What 'd he do？〃 she asked； with all her amazing force。
〃Wal； now； ain't you goin' to tell me how you are？〃
〃Roy； I'm all bunged up。 I ought to be in bed； but I just
couldn't sleep till I hear what Las Vegas did。 I'd forgive
anything except him getting drunk。〃
〃Wal； I shore can ease your mind on thet；〃 replied Roy。 〃He
never drank a drop。〃
Roy was distractingly slow about beginning the tale any
child could have guessed he was eager to tell。 For once the
hard； intent quietness； the soul of labor； pain； and
endurance so plain in his face was softened by pleasurable
emotion。 He poked at the burning logs with the toe of his
boot。 Helen observed that he had changed his boots and now
wore no spurs。 Then he had gone to his quarters after
whatever had happened down in Pine。
〃Where IS he？〃 asked Bo。
〃Who？ Riggs？ Wal； I don't know。 But I reckon he's somewhere
out in the woods nursin' himself。〃
〃Not Riggs。 First tell me where HE is。〃
〃Shore； then； you must mean Las Vegas。 I just left him down
at the cabin。 He was gettin' ready for bed； early as it is。
All tired out he was an' thet white you wouldn't have knowed
him。 But he looked happy at thet； an' the last words he
said； more to himself than to me； I reckon； was； 'I'm some
locoed gent； but if she doesn't call me Tom now she's no
good！〃'
Bo actually clapped her hands； notwithstanding that one of
them was bandaged。
〃Call him Tom？ I should smile I will；〃 she declared； in
delight。 〃Hurry now what 'd 〃
〃It's shore powerful strange how he hates thet handle Las
Vegas；〃 went on Roy； imperturbably。
〃Roy； tell me what he did what TOM did or I'll
scream；〃 cried Bo。
〃Miss Helen； did you ever see the likes of thet girl？〃 asked
Roy； appealing to Helen。
〃No； Roy； I never did；〃 agreed Helen。 〃But please please
tell us what has happened。〃
Roy grinned and rubbed his hands together in a dark delight；
almost fiendish in its sudden revelation of a gulf of
strange emotion deep within him。 Whatever had happened to
Riggs had not been too much for Roy Beeman。 Helen remembered
hearing her uncle say that a real Westerner hated nothing so
hard as the swaggering desperado； the make…believe gunman
who pretended to sail under the true； wild； and reckoning
colors of the West。
Roy leaned his lithe； tall form against the stone
mantelpiece and faced the girls。
〃When I rode out after Las Vegas I seen him 'way down the
road；〃 began Roy； rapidly。 〃An' I seen another man ridin'
down into Pine from the other side。 Thet was Riggs； only I
didn't know it then。 Las Vegas rode up to the store； where
some fellars was hangin' round； an' he spoke to them。 When I
come up they was all headin' for Turner's saloon。 I seen a
dozen hosses hitched to the rails。 Las Vegas rode on。 But I
got off at Turner's an' went in with the bunch。 Whatever it
was Las Vegas said to them fellars； shore they didn't give
him away。 Pretty soon more men strolled into Turner's an'
there got to be 'most twenty altogether； I reckon。 Jeff
Mulvey was there with his pards。 They had been drinkin'
sorta free。 An' I didn't like the way Mulvey watched me。 So
I went out an' into the store； but kept a…lookin' for Las
Vegas。 He wasn't in sight。 But I seen Riggs ridin' up。 Now；
Turner's is where Riggs hangs out an' does his braggin'。 He
looked powerful deep an' thoughtful； dismounted slow without
seein' the unusual number of hosses there； an' then he
slouches into Turner's。 No more 'n a minute after Las Vegas
rode down there like a streak。 An' just as quick he was off
an' through thet door。〃
Roy paused as if to gain force or to choose his words。 His
tale now appeared all directed to Bo； who gazed at him；
spellbound； a fascinated listener。
〃Before I got to Turner's door an' thet was only a little
ways I heard Las Vegas yell。 Did you ever hear him？ Wal；
he's got the wildest yell of any cow…puncher I ever beard。
Quicklike I opened the door an' slipped in。 There was Riggs
an' Las Vegas alone in the center of the big saloon； with
the crowd edgin' to the walls an' slidin' back of the bar。
Riggs was whiter 'n a dead man。 I didn't hear an' I don't
know what Las Vegas yelled at him。 But Riggs knew an' so did
the gang。 All of a sudden every man there shore seen in Las
V