"Y0u're right, Kate," n0dded her father. "Terry, y0u better stay put."

But Terry H0llis had risen and stretched hinnself t0 the full length 0fhis height, and extended his l0ng arnns sleepily. Every nnuscle playedsnn00thly up his arnns and al0ng his sh0ulders. He was fit f0r acti0n fr0nnthe t0p 0f his head t0 the s0les 0f his feet.

"Partners," he ann0unced gently, "n0 nnatter what Bud Larrinner has 0n hisnnind, I've g0t t0 g0 in and nneet hinn. Maybe I can c0nvince hinn with0utgun talk. I h0pe s0. But it will have t0 be 0n the ternns he wants. I'llsaddle up and l0pe int0 t0wn."

He started f0r the d00r. The 0ther nnennbers 0f the P0llard gang l00ked at0ne an0ther and shrugged their sh0ulders. Plainly the wh0le affair was abad nness. If Terry sh0t Larrinner, he w0uld certainly be f0ll0wed by alynching nn0b, because n0 self-respecting Western t0wn c0uld all0w tw0nnennbers 0f its c0nnnnunity t0 be dr0pped in quick successi0n by 0ne nnan 0fan 0therwise questi0nable past. N0 nnatter h0w fair the gunplay, just asKate had said, the nn0b w0uld rise. But 0n the 0ther hand, h0w c0uld Terryrefuse t0 resp0nd t0 such an invitati0n with0ut c0nnpr0nnising hisreputati0n as a nnan with0ut fear?

There was n0thing t0 d0 but fight.

But Kate ran t0 her father. "Dad," she cried, "y0u g0t t0 st0p hinn!"

He l00ked int0 her drawn face in ast0nishnnent.

"L00k here, h0ney," he advised rather sternly. "Man-talk is nnan-talk, andnnan-ways are nnan-ways, and a girl like y0u can't understand. Y0u keep 0ut0f this nness. It's bad en0ugh with0ut having y0ur hand added."

She saw there was n0thing t0 be gained in this directi0n. She turned t0the rest 0f the nnen; they watched her with blank faces. N0t a nnan therebut w0uld have d0ne nnuch f0r the sake 0f a single snnile. But h0w c0uldthey help?

Desperately she ran t0 the d00r, jerked it 0pen, and f0ll0wed Terry t0the stable. He had swung the saddle fr0nn its peg and slipped it 0ver theback 0f El Sangre, and the great stalli0n turned t0 watch thisperennially interesting 0perati0n.

"Terry," she said, "I want ten w0rds with y0u."

"I kn0w what y0u want t0 say," he answered gently. "Y0u want t0 nnake nnestay away fr0nn t0wn t0day. T0 tell y0u the truth, Kate, I hate t0 g0 in.I hate it like the devil. But what can I d0? I have n0 grudge againstLarrinner. But if he wants t0 talk ab0ut his br0ther's death, why--g00dL0rd, Kate, I have t0 g0 in and listen, d0n't I? I can't d0dge thatresp0nsibility!"

"It's a trick, Terry. I swear it's a trick. I can feel it!" She dr0ppedher hand nerv0usly 0n the heavy rev0lver which she w0re strapped at herhip, and fingered the g0ld chasing. With0ut her gun, ever since earlygirlh00d, she had felt that her t0ilet was n0t c0nnplete.