The Last Straw

He had separated the unbroken stock from the horses that had been turned loose for the winter a

er mind on horses only since early forenoon. That puzzled him because, though he was far from certain, he had felt that the scene which he had interrupted had caused he

he explained. "I cut 'em out for you.

he looked at her sharply because her manner was of one who is familiar with h

corral. There's some good ones

closure and at their approach t

n horse's been

with a white star between the eyes and a flowing forelock

colt you own; got the makin's of a

the sorrel came into full view. A beautiful beast with white s

ugh belly, but I suppose that's because he's been on the range. I like that

d with horses som

hunted a little. Ca

instant he resisted, head flung back and feet secure

n't take an intelligent creatur

m suspiciously, ready to ru

we try him?

e replied and led the

oudly as the weight of the saddle was gently placed on his back. He stepped about and kicked as the c

and the horse. The former was assured, gentle, positive in every move; the l

ten the stirrups I'l

rse ain't been ridden three times in

ey can only be formed at the cost of knocks. There are many things I must try to

t y

r you to let

ed. And her bruskness delighted him for when he turned to give the cinc

silk scarf he wore about his neck, helped Jane to mount, saw that she had both stirrups, to

bewildered. Then, with a grunt and a bound,

warned Beck, watching with int

jumps. Erect in the saddle, sitting too far bac

had her balance.... Until he sunfished, with a wrenching movement

bering that his injunction to hang on

s and as he came down, head toward the man, the girl shot int

a gallop. She lay very still with her eyes closed; a sm

y firm, as he held it with an arm beneath her shoulders. He was fumbling with her collar to open it, knuckles against her soft throat

t ... ri

re enthusiasm than she had seen him displa

their faces were very close; he felt his heart leap, too, an

ied her an interval and reluctantly he took his

giving you that order,"-with resolution. "

very earnest and that she was looking straight

e in. Jimmy Oliver had seen from a distance and asked Beck fo

rs to take orders. If she breaks her neck try

ugh," Oliver commented, as tho

man, came to them under an added handicap. Where a man, inept and showing the same courage, might have found himself quietly accepted, Jan

another spoke of their new boss, as though deeply interested in what the m

e reading was limited to brands, never received mail and before he arrived there was speculation as to the writer of the one letter. Of the ot

the corral with his eyes on the ranch hous

ts," Curtis remarked

them gravely, striving to cover his surprise. This could not be done, though, for his agitated A

oncern, then walked to the window under a growing s

for minutes. He folded the sheet with a sigh and stuffed it, with the other letter, into his chap pocket and walked thoughtfully to

l'd turn out a bad one! It's aw

own on his bunk and laughed until his entire length shook. Jimmy Oliver gasped for breath, hands ac

ce them of the gravity he shammed, he rose and permitted an abashed grin to dist

ng had called HC riders. Hepburn departed early and after their horses had eaten Beck and

I'd like to get you to read t

its was sensitive over his educational shortcomings, so he t

the Reverend

y brother! What's the

r read a

anded my sole attention. Now, however, I am on a brief sojourn in the marts of trade and my interests call me in your direction. I expect to arr

ght with enthusiasm. "He's comin' to visit me. Gosh, Tom, but he's a smart man! Ain't that elegan

ince you've

le. Since I was

long ago

s a preacher. My, oh my, but she'll

t seen since infancy, regaling the other with long and vague tales of his accomplishments. Pressed for details he could not offer them because his knowledge of t

nt talk of Two-Bits. Curiously, it

not possess at least several admirable qualities. He had offended her, gently bullied her, only last evening; he had sensed the waning of her own feeling of superiority, had understood that,

s that vague thing, Herself, of which he had spoken. He did not understand, but

ing things about her and yet hoping that other men would speak about her highly! He had never taken many thin

hich adjoined the hotel, eased thei

epburn, and the other, from the intonation of his cautiously lowered voice, he took to be Pat Webb, the ranche

way, a nasty light playing across his gray eyes, but Beck did not even give him a glance. What was Hepburn doing in close talk with Webb? he asked himself. For years Web

as a small man with sharp features and bright, button-like eyes which roved restlessly. His skin w

a suggestive smile. He drank with a swagger and wiped his lips with a

nd of the bar move

and Hepburn said, in his benevolent manne

loser and more questions f

'uld be in town nights any more,"-his g

ation, was still a figure in the country and his

, Webb?" He

ere's only two reasons why men want to come to this hole nights; one'

arroom laugh. It had reached its height when Tom Beck, whose eyes had been on Hepburn as Webb gave v

a quality which caught

k into his threatening face a

's a

the other's face and his mout

's a

s a lie, Webb, a

er and Beck, breaking short, closed on him,

that with m

ped the gun away from the man's side while Webb struggled,

me tha

and behind him Sam McKee made a quick movement. Two-Bi

out of

his face, subsided, withou

. He closed it with a snap and sent it spinning down the ba

"You're a liar and you're going to tel

etreating a step as Beck

His hands were clenched and he held them slightly before his body as

t to you,

in your throat! That's what it is to me an' before these boys I wil

else knows how this girl's goin' to make it in this country, but, by God, Webb, she's goin' to have a f

r this. There's just one chance for me to keep ou

his spurs ringing ever so slightly, yet

nsisted. "Say

od sharply out against the pallor. His dirty assurance was beaten down

spoke t

of that! Say you lied a

ager, vengeful hands, when Webb relaxe

way. I lied, I gue

. You've said all

wrath. His gaze then went to Hepburn and clung there a moment, eloquent of contemp

vered his gun and stood close to Sam McKee, drinking. From the doorway which led into the

. Why had he done that? Always he had disliked Webb but why had this

culous; then he strolled down toward the creek and stood under th

o that window. "You're the kind that gets men into t

ier of deceit which Hepburn had attempted to build, he had come to understand that there was something strange in the pursuit of Jane Hunter by Dick Hilton, he had understood that in his

oncern was the attitude of the foreman. His susp

danger or humiliation but he experienced a relief at knowledge that so far as he was concerned there was no longer anythin

And who was that man from the East? To what was Jane's co

on his arm, again the warmth of her breath on his cheek. He lay there wit

ture would be real and appalling, when he would actually feel her body in his arms, when her warm breath would mingle with her warm tears on his cheek, when he would