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slipped off her saddle to the ground； where she sat while
Riggs led the horse away。 She sat there apparently
forgotten； a pathetic droop to her head。
Wilson had taken an ax and was vigorously wielding it among
the spruces。 One by one they fell with swish and soft crash。
Then the sliding ring of the ax told how he was slicing off
the branches with long sweeps。 Presently he appeared in the
semi…darkness； dragging half…trimmed spruces behind him。 He
made several trips； the last of which was to stagger under a
huge burden of spruce boughs。 These he spread under a low；
projecting branch of an aspen。 Then he leaned the bushy
spruces slantingly against this branch on both sides；
quickly improvising a V…shaped shelter with narrow aperture
in front。 Next from one of the packs he took a blanket and
threw that inside the shelter。 Then； touching the girl on
the shoulder； he whispered：
〃When you're ready； slip in there。 An' don't lose no sleep
by worryin'； fer I'll be layin' right here。〃
He made a motion to indicate his length across the front of
the narrow aperture。
〃Oh； thank you！ Maybe you really are a Texan；〃 she whispered
back。
〃Mebbe；〃 was his gloomy reply。
CHAPTER XXI
The girl refused to take food proffered her by Riggs； but
she ate and drank a little that Wilson brought her； then she
disappeared in the spruce lean…to。
Whatever loquacity and companionship had previously existed
in Snake Anson's gang were not manifest in this camp。 Each
man seemed preoccupied； as if pondering the dawn in his mind
of an ill omen not clear to him yet and not yet dreamed of
by his fellows。 They all smoked。 Then Moze and Shady played
cards awhile by the light of the fire； but it was a dull
game； in which either seldom spoke。 Riggs sought his blanket
first； and the fact was significant that he lay down some
distance from the spruce shelter which contained Bo Rayner。
Presently young Burt went off grumbling to his bed。 And not
long afterward the card…players did likewise。
Snake Anson and Jim Wilson were left brooding in silence
beside the dying camp…fire。
The night was dark； with only a few stars showing。 A fitful
wind moaned unearthly through the spruce。 An occasional
thump of hoof sounded from the dark woods。 No cry of wolf or
coyote or cat gave reality to the wildness of forest…land。
By and by those men who had rolled in their blankets were
breathing deep and slow in heavy slumber。
〃Jim； I take it this hyar Riggs has queered our deal；〃 said
Snake Anson； in low voice。
〃I reckon；〃 replied Wilson。
〃An' I'm feared he's queered this hyar White Mountain
country fer us。〃
〃Shore I 'ain't got so far as thet。 What d' ye mean； Snake？〃
〃Damme if I savvy；〃 was the gloomy reply。 〃I only know what
was bad looks growin' wuss。 Last fall an' winter an'
now it's near April。 We've got no outfit to make a long
stand in the woods。 。 。 。 Jim； jest how strong is thet
Beasley down in the settlements？〃
〃I've a hunch he ain't half as strong as he bluffs。〃
〃Me； too。 I got thet idee yesterday。 He was scared of the
kid when she fired up an' sent thet hot…shot about her
cowboy sweetheart killin' him。 He'll do it； Jim。 I seen that
Carmichael at Magdalena some years ago。 Then he was only a
youngster。 But； whew！ Mebbe he wasn't bad after toyin' with
a little red liquor。〃
〃Shore。 He was from Texas； she said。〃
〃Jim； I savvied your feelin's was hurt by thet talk about
Texas an' when she up an' asked you。〃
Wilson had no rejoinder for this remark。
〃Wal； Lord knows； I ain't wonderin'。 You wasn't a hunted
outlaw all your life。 An' neither was I。 。 。 。 Wilson； I
never was keen on this girl deal now； was I？〃
〃I reckon it's honest to say no to thet；〃 replied Wilson。
But it's done。 Beasley 'll get plugged sooner or later。 Thet
won't help us any。 Chasin' sheep…herders out of the country
an' stealin' sheep thet ain't stealin' gurls by a long
sight。 Beasley 'll blame that on us； an' be greaser enough
to send some of his men out to hunt us。 For Pine an' Show
Down won't stand thet long。 There's them Mormons。 They'll be
hell when they wake up。 Suppose Carmichael got thet hunter
Dale an' them hawk…eyed Beemans on our trail？〃
〃Wal； we'd cash in quick；〃 replied Anson； gruffly。
〃Then why didn't you let me take the gurl back home？〃
〃Wal； come to think of thet； Jim； I'm sore； an' I need money
an' I knowed you'd never take a dollar from her sister。
An' I've made up my mind to git somethin' out of her。〃
〃Snake； you're no fool。 How 'll you do thet same an' do it
quick？〃
〃'Ain't reckoned it out yet。〃
〃Wal； you got aboot to…morrer an' thet's all；〃 returned
Wilson； gloomily。
〃Jim； what's ailin' you？〃
〃I'll let you figger thet out。〃
〃Wal； somethin' ails the whole gang；〃 declared Anson；
savagely。 〃With them it's nothin' to eat no whisky no
money to bet with no tobacco！。 。 。 But thet's not what's
ailin' you； Jim Wilson； nor me！〃
〃Wal； what is； then？〃 queried Wilson。
〃With me it's a strange feelin' thet my day's over on these
ranges。 I can't explain； but it jest feels so。 Somethin' in
the air。 I don't like them dark shadows out there under the
spruces。 Savvy？ 。 。 。 An' as fer you； Jim wal； you allus
was half decent； an' my gang's got too lowdown fer you。〃
〃Snake； did I ever fail you？〃
〃No； you never did。 You're the best pard I ever knowed。 In
the years we've rustled together we never had a contrary
word till I let Beasley fill my ears with his promises。
Thet's my fault。 But； Jim； it's too late。〃
〃It mightn't have been too late yesterday。〃
〃Mebbe not。 But it is now； an' I'll hang on to the girl or
git her worth in gold；〃 declared the outlaw； grimly。
〃Snake； I've seen stronger gangs than yours come an' go。
Them Big Bend gangs in my country them rustlers they
were all bad men。 You have no likes of them gangs out heah。
If they didn't get wiped out by Rangers or cowboys； why they
jest naturally wiped out themselves。 Thet's a law I
recognize in relation to gangs like them。 An' as for yours
why； Anson； it wouldn't hold water against one real
gun…slinger。〃
〃A…huh' Then if we ran up ag'in' Carmichael or some such
fellar would you be suckin' your finger like a baby？〃
〃Wal； I wasn't takin' count of myself。 I was takin'
generalities。〃
〃Aw； what 'n hell are them？〃 asked Anson； disgustedly。 Jim；
I know as well as you thet this hyar gang is hard put。 We're
goin' to be trailed an' chased。 We've got to hide be on
the go all the time here an' there all over； in the
roughest woods。 An' wait our chance to work south。〃
〃Shore。 But； Snake； you ain't takin' no count of the
feelin's of the men an' of mine an' yours。 。 。 。 I'll bet
you my hoss thet in a day or so this gang will go to
pieces。〃
〃I'm feared you spoke what's been crowdin' to git in my
mind；〃 replied Anson。 Then he threw up his hands in a
strange gesture of resignation。 The outlaw was brave； but
all men of the wilds recognized a force stronger than
themselves。 He sat there resembling a brooding snake with
basilisk eyes upon the fire。 At length he arose； and without
another