"Fred you must not talk so. That robbery has unnerved you for the time being, that's all. You're excited and so----"

"I'm more than excited," he declared, trying to put his hands on her shoulders. "I'm about--about--_gone_! Laura, marry me to-night, and we'll go somewhere--we'll go somewhere right from here, from this ranch--go a long way and get married in the morning. Then we can stay away for a short time till I get to be myself again."

"No, Fred," replied the girl in convincing tones, "I can't. It would be asking too much even if I loved you. Come inside, and I'll make you some strong tea. You can talk to father and me and regain control of yourself."

There was a moment of silence. Mallory with the lamp had come to the door at the sound of Doane's loud voice. He was looking at them. Then out of the night came the pound of hoofs. There was no mistaking the sound.

Doane whirled around, as a rider came out of the sea of mesquite and greasewood and flung himself from the saddle in front of the porch.

The bank cashier turned toward Mallory. His face was haggard. He seemed to sway, as the rider came stamping up the steps. He darted for the door, but had hardly got inside before the rider caught him and made him face about. Mallory hurried in with the lamp, followed by the girl.

Doane was quailing before the new arrival. Both cried out, as they saw it was Eagen who had broken out so suddenly. Eagen towered above the shrinking Doane.

"So you thought you'd double cross me, did you, eh?" came Eagen's harsh voice, and he slapped Doane in the face.

Doane went red, then white. For a moment intense hatred and anger flashed in his eyes, but he made no move to avenge the insult. Slowly the light in his eyes died again to fear, as he realized his inability to cope with this man of strength.

"Here, Eagen, you can't come into my house and act like that," said Mallory stoutly, putting the lamp on the table.

Laura still stood in the doorway, stunned by the rapid and extraordinary turn of events. Eagen turned on Mallory with a snarl.

"Shut up, you old fool! Don't b.u.t.t in where you ain't wanted, an' on something you don't know anything about."

"I know you're in my house!" Mallory retorted sternly.

"I'll only be here a minute," said Eagen with a sneer. "I'm goin' out of your house, an' I'm goin' to drag this sneaking cur out with me--out on the solid ground an' give him what's comin' to him. An'

then," he added in a terrible voice; "I'm goin' to go out an' get his pardner--Rathburn, The Coyote--get him when the others can't come within a mile of him!"

"You can't take this man out of my house when he is my guest!"

thundered Mallory.

"No?" asked Eagen contemptuously. "Well, you watch an' see! If you try to stop me you'll stop lead!"

He leaped forward and grasped Doane by the shoulder, jerked him forward, and stepped backward himself. He turned, dragging his victim, then stopped dead in his tracks with a hissing intake of breath.

Rathburn was standing quietly in the doorway.

CHAPTER x.x.xVI

THE LOOT

In the heat of the threats and counterthreats which had been in progress, none of the occupants of the room had heard the newest arrival thunder up to the porch and leap from the saddle to the steps.

Eagen was dumfounded by Rathburn's sudden appearance. He saw that the girl was standing now in a front corner of the room, with her hands crossed on her breast, a look of horror in her eyes. Slowly Eagen recovered and loosed his hold on Doane, who staggered weakly to the table and leaned upon it. Eagen's sneer returned to his thick lips, and his narrowed gaze traveled quickly to a sack which Rathburn held in his left hand. Eagen's eyes shone with fury.

"Come here to fix up the divvy!" he choked. "I knew it was a put-up job between you an' Doane, an' I figured you'd maybe meet aroun' here where Doane would be sure to come to try an' take this woman with him."

Rathburn eyed him calmly. There was something of a deadly calm in his very posture, as he stood just within the threshold. He looked past Eagen to Doane. Then he tossed the sack on the table.

"Here's the money I took this morning, Doane," he said in matter-of-fact tones. "I came here to turn it over to you."

With bulging eyes Doane stared at him.

Eagen laughed loudly. "That's rich! Tryin' to make me think you was goin' to give it _all_ to him? Don't you figure, Mr. Coyote, that I can throw my rope aroun' a simple scheme like you an' that shivering rat over by the table cooked up? That's why you turned down my little proposition last night. It was this same deal--only, _me_, an' Doane there was goin' to put it over. You figured I'd cut you out of your divvy, an' you figured right; he suspected I might double cross him, an' maybe he was right, too. So he cooked it up with you to pull the robbery, thinkin' you'd be more likely to go through an' give him his end. But the pair of you figured too many points when you thought I wouldn't catch on."

"That was what your proposition was to be, was it?" asked Rathburn pleasantly. "Rob the bank? Why, I didn't need a gang to rob the bank, Eagen, an' I didn't have anybody in with me. The trouble with you is that you've got too much imagination."

The drawl in which Rathburn concluded his speech drove Eagen to a frenzy.

"You lie, Rathburn!"

Rathburn smiled. "I might as well tell you that I intended to get away with that money that's on the table, Eagen. That's what I took it for.

I'm making this little statement because something's liable to happen to one, or both of us. I didn't know Doane was cashier of the bank when I took it. I only recently learned that fact. Then I brought it back to turn over to him, not so much on his account as on account of Miss Mallory. I understand Doane is a very good friend of Miss Mallory. I wouldn't want his bank hurt for that reason."

It was Laura Mallory who cried out at this. She walked toward Rathburn, although he did not look at her.

"Why did you do it, Roger?" she asked in a trembling voice.

"I can't tell you _that_, ma'am," he said.

"But I know!" she cried. "I've guessed it. You saw Mr. Doane and me together in Hope to-day and remembered he was at the ranch last night, and----"

"Don't say any more, Laura!" Rathburn commanded sternly.

"Be still, daughter; it's best," said Mallory.

"Neither she, nor you, nor Doane, nor all of you together can talk me out of it!" roared Eagen. "It was a frame-up!"

In the deadly stillness that followed, Laura Mallory shrank back from the sight of two gunmen looking steadily into each other's eyes, their hands ready for the lightning draw--each waiting for the merest suggestion of the beginning of a move on the part of the other to get his weapon into action. But the draws did not come. The pregnant silence was broken by the thundering roll of many horses galloping into the yard about the house.

"There!" yelled Eagen in a voice of triumph. "There's your sweet little posse, Coyote!"

"I expected to see Bob Long when I came down here!" said Rathburn coolly, looking at Laura Mallory for the first time.

CHAPTER x.x.xVII

THE TEST OF A MAN

Several men stamped across the porch to the jingle of spur chains.

Others broke in through the back door and entered the kitchen. Sheriff Bob Long appeared at the door, with two guns leveled.

"You're covered from both doors and all the windows, Rathburn!" he said sharply.