"When you put up the money for a prospector's supplies, they call it *grubstakin',' and if he makes a strike, a find of gold or silver, that is, then you share in it."

"How much of a share?"

"One-third, mum." She dried her hands and took from her pocket a paper. "He signed this, mum. If he makes a find, I get one-third of it all, forever."

"What if you never see him again?"

"I'll hear it if he finds anything, and if he does na come to me with it, I will surely go to him. He's an Irishman, mum, and although the Good Lord knows there are thieves among us, too, I told him I'd go to Cork and look up his kinfolk there and tell them what a blackguard he'd become. I'd also set the law on him." She smiled a little. "Or maybe Ridge Fenton or Temple Boone."

"How much did you give him?"

"All I'd saved, mum, but I shall eat here, and there will be a bit of a wage comin' to me soon, and I'm going nowhere at all."

She took up her tub to carry to the door. "Here he comes, mum. Temple Boone, I mean, and you'd better fix your hair a mite."

Mary gave her an exasperated look. "I shall fix my hair, and thank you for telling me, but I am not, as you phrased it, *settin' my cap' for Temple Boone!"

"You could do worse, mum. He's a bit on the rough and wild side, but a true man, with it all, and mum, they are hard to come by!"

A quick look in the mirror did show a strand of loose hair here and there. She straightened it with quick, deft fingers. She was not interested in Temple Boone, but nonetheless- He paused inside the door, hat in hand, giving her a quick, approving glance, and she was glad she had straightened her hair. "Mind if I pour myself some coffee, Mrs. Breydon? No reason for me to disturb you, I'm just sort of pa.s.sin' through."

"Do help yourself, Mr. Boone. Did Matty tell you that the children almost ran upon Scant Luther?"

"He's been scoutin' around, ma'am. It's about time I gave him his walkin' papers."

"There's no need. I still have my pistol."

He smiled. "Havin' a pistol and knowin' when to use it are two different things. Use your best judgment, ma'am, but don't wait too long. Luther has no business here, and the company does not want him around. If he comes, it is because he is fixin' to cause trouble. And don't waste time reasonin' with him. He knows what the game is. Tell him to get off, and if he makes a step toward you, shoot him. It isn't as if he was a stranger. You know him and what he's like."

Boone sat down with his coffee. "There's talk around, ma'am. Your station is makin' a name for itself, and it is being talked of as an overnight station."

"But we haven't room!"

"That's just it. They'd build on some sleepin' rooms. Add to the place." He sipped his coffee. "Mean something to you, too, ma'am, because your salary would go up."

She had not thought of that. It would not be much, of course, but it would help.

"I suppose I must thank Mark Stacy for that."

"No, ma'am. You did it yourself, you and Matty and the others. Whenever you offer good food, good service, and a bright, friendly atmosphere, you will be talked about. Travelers tell each other, and about the bad places, too."

He refilled his cup, straddling the bench beside the table. "I've been thinkin', ma'am. I mean I've been thinkin' about you. Now-"

"Mum? That man Jordy Neff? He's comin' down the road, and he's ridin' with two others."

Temple Boone turned sharply to look up the road. Then he reached back and slipped the loop from the hammer of his six-shooter.

"I see him." Mary Breydon's expression changed. "And he's riding my horse!"

Chapter 20.

TEMPLE BOONE WATCHED Jordy Neff dismount. His features were tight and hard. "Mrs. Breydon," even the tone of his voice had changed, "are you ready for trouble?"

"What kind of trouble?"

"Shooting trouble," he replied.

"The stage is coming in," she said. "Nothing can happen until it is gone."

"Tell that to Neff," he said. "His kind doesn't wait, and that's Williams and Mody Mercer with him." He turned to look at her. "This is killing trouble. Where's Peg?"

"She's across the road, in our house. When the stage comes in, she will come over to help."

"She mustn't. She's got to stay there." As Mary started to move, he put up a hand. "No! Stay here! She will have to take her chances."

"What do you mean? Why should there be trouble?"

"Flandrau's been wanting to be rid of you. Jordy is his pet killer, and as for Mercer, he'll stop at nothing, just nothing at all."

"But the stage-!"

Boone turned to Matty. "Serve them, serve the stage people, too."

Mary Breydon stood staring out of the window. "That horse is mine!" Suddenly she was angry. "If they want trouble, they can have it!"

"Mary! Mrs. Breydon, think what you're doing. The men you're lookin' at are utterly vicious. You've never seen their like!"

"Oh, yes, I have! They raided Harlequin Oaks! They killed some of our people! They ran off our stock!"

He stared at her. Didn't she realize there were three of them, and it was he alone against them?

Where was Ridge Fenton? Where the h.e.l.l was Ridge?

He could take-maybe he could take Neff, but what about the others?

"Mrs. Breydon." He spoke softly. "For G.o.d's sake, don't say anything about that horse! Not now!"

"I'll do no such-!"

"Here comes the stage," Matty said. She wiped her hands on her ap.r.o.n, smoothed down her dress. "Ma'am? The stage is here."

It came around the corner at a spanking trot, swung around the half circle, and pulled up at the station. Jordy Neff and his men were just outside the door. They turned to look.

"Matty?" Boone whispered. "Where's the shotgun?"

She gestured toward the bedroom door. "Right inside my door, left-hand side."

He backed up toward the door, his cup of coffee in his left hand. Jordy first...he would be the quickest one, then Mercer and Williams- He was good with a gun, and he knew he was good, but three of them?

And a perfect chance for Mary Breydon to be killed, accidentally. An innocent bystander.

They swung open the door and came in, just ahead of the pa.s.sengers. Neff stared across the table at Boone. "Well, what d'you know? Temple Boone! Look what we got here, fellas, Temple Boone!"

He stared at Boone, smiling a little. "You killed Longman, didn't you? He was a friend of mine."

"He was a thief. He had it coming."

Neff laughed. "Of course, he did! He killed his share, Lord knows! Men, women, maybe children, I don't know, but I set store by him. We rode together."

The pa.s.sengers were trooping in. There were nine of them, at least four of them with the mark of the West on them. Two were strong-looking men wearing gun belts. Two others were business types, but both were armed. All four were tanned and rugged.

Matty moved quickly, quietly, serving them the steaks she had prepared. They were elk meat and very good.

One of the newcomers glanced from Neff to Boone, then apparently nudged his companion. The man edged over, out of the line of fire.

Neff forked a piece of the steak into his mouth, and Mary Breydon said, "Mr. Neff, you are riding a stolen horse!"

His mouth was full; he was chewing, and he had another piece of meat on his fork, halfway to his mouth. Caught in midmovement, he stared; an ugly glint came into his eyes and pa.s.sed.

He put down his fork slowly, chewed and swallowed. "Ma'am, you bein' a woman-"

"Mr. Neff, I said you are riding a stolen horse. The horse belongs to me. He was stolen in a guerrilla raid on my plantation at Harlequin Oaks."

Neff's face was a shade more pale. He glanced briefly at the men across from him. "There's a lot of horses, ma'am. It's easy to make a mistake, y' know. I-"

"This is no mistake, Mr. Neff. That horse was stolen, and he belongs to me." She reached into her pocket. "I had been planning to put these papers in the hands of the sheriff, but as long as you have brought the horse here, there may be no need of that.

"These papers," she added, "are the pedigree papers for the horse you have been riding. The horse belongs to me!"

Jordy Neff's face slowly began to flush. All eyes were on him. Who did this woman think she was, anyway? Callin' him like this in front of everybody? "You're makin' a mistake, lady," he said. "That there horse is mine."

"Sir?" She spoke to one of the men at the table. "I dislike to disturb your lunch, but would you step out there and look under that horse's mane? Look high up and you will find a C branded there."

"My father's name and mine before I was married was Claybourne. That horse was raised on Harlequin Oaks. She was a pet of mine."

"Ma'am? Are you accusin' me?"

"I am not. I am simply saying you are riding a horse that was stolen from me and for which I have the papers. Do you have a bill of sale, Mr. Neff?"

His face flushed a deeper red. He was fairly trapped and had no idea what to do. If he drew a gun here, somebody was going to get killed, and he had a feeling that maybe these strangers might take a hand.

Mody and Williams were there, but- Williams slowly, carefully pushed back his corner of the bench and stood up. "I am going to pay you, ma'am. Is it two bits?"

He spoke carefully to be sure they heard him before he started to put his hand in his pocket. He took out some coins, placed the proper coin on the table, and took a slow step back, then walked quietly toward the door, followed by Mercer, who also paid.

The man came in from outside. "The C is there, ma'am. Looks to me like the horse is yours."

"I have the papers here," she said, "and the description of the horse."

Horse stealing was a hanging offense. There was a stage driver and a hostler out there; there were several men in here-he could almost feel the rope.

"Sorry, ma'am. I didn't know the horse was stole. Can I ride him back to town?"

"No, you cannot. The horse will remain here. If you will remove your saddle and bridle, please? You may ride the stage into town." She paused. "If you have the fare."

Neff's eyes were ugly. "If you were a man-!"

"I'm a man," Boone suggested mildly.

"Not in here!" Matty had the shotgun. "Outside with you all! Now!"

They moved outside, and some of the pa.s.sengers began to board the stage.

Mercer and Williams stood to one side, about ten feet apart, facing the stage station.

Neff walked toward the barn, then turned sharply around, waiting.

Boone was at the door, but before he could stop her, Mary was past him. "Gentlemen? Will you board, please?

"Wilbur? When the pa.s.sengers are aboard, will you take the stage out, please? At once?" She turned. "Mr. Neff? Unless you wish to walk, I'd suggest you get your gear and get aboard."

"I got business here," he said, watching the door.

Temple Boone spoke quietly from within the door. "Ma'am? Don't you see? It's you they want to kill."

For an instant, she stood still. Of course, how could she have been such a fool? Yet how could she now get inside? If she made such a move, would they not kill her at once? The stage started to move.

"Take them out, Wilbur!" she said. "Now!"

The stage rolled; dust arose and settled. They could hear it rattling off down the road, the sound slowly receding.

She stood alone in the bare trail before the stage station, and there were three men whose intention it was that she die.

She stood very still, head held high, trying to think of a way out. What should she do now?

Walk to the door? Walk toward them? Softly, the voice from the doorway said, "When I step out, you hit the dirt. Hit it hard, ma'am. It will be your only chance!"

Matty moved to a window. "Mr. Boone, I have the shotgun. I will take Mr. Williams."