"Roy! You've had this deal, as you call it, all worked out in mind for a long time!" exclaimed Helen.

"Sh.o.r.e, an' I 'ain't missed a reckonin' yet."

"Then what will happen--in a few days?"

"Nell Rayner, are you goin' to hev some s.p.u.n.k an' not lose your nerve again or go wild out of your head?"

"I'll try to be brave, but--but I must be prepared," she replied, tremulously.

"Wal, there's Dale an' Las Vegas an' me fer Beasley to reckon with.

An', Miss Nell, his chances fer long life are as pore as his chances fer heaven!"

"But, Roy, I don't believe in deliberate taking of life," replied Helen, shuddering. "That's against my religion. I won't allow it....

And--then--think, Dale, all of you--in danger!"

"Girl, how 're you ever goin' to help yourself? Sh.o.r.e you might hold Dale back, if you love him, an' swear you won't give yourself to him....

An' I reckon I'd respect your religion, if you was goin' to suffer through me.... But not Dale nor you--nor Bo--nor love or heaven or h.e.l.l can ever stop thet cowboy Las Vegas!"

"Oh, if Dale brings Bo back to me--what will I care for my ranch?"

murmured Helen.

"Reckon you'll only begin to care when thet happens. Your big hunter has got to be put to work," replied Roy, with his keen smile.

Before noon that day the baggage Helen had packed at home was left on the porch of Widow Ca.s.s's cottage, and Helen's anxious need of the hour was satisfied. She was made comfortable in the old woman's one spare room, and she set herself the task of fort.i.tude and endurance.

To her surprise, many of Mrs. Ca.s.s's neighbors came un.o.btrusively to the back door of the little cottage and made sympathetic inquiries. They appeared a subdued and apprehensive group, and whispered to one another as they left. Helen gathered from their visits a conviction that the wives of the men dominated by Beasley believed no good could come of this high-handed taking over of the ranch. Indeed, Helen found at the end of the day that a strength had been borne of her misfortune.

The next day Roy informed her that his brother John had come down the preceding night with the news of Beasley's descent upon the ranch. Not a shot had been fired, and the only damage done was that of the burning of a hay-filled barn. This had been set on fire to attract Helen's men to one spot, where Beasley had ridden down upon them with three times their number. He had boldly ordered them off the land, unless they wanted to acknowledge him boss and remain there in his service. The three Beemans had stayed, having planned that just in this event they might be valuable to Helen's interests. Beasley had ridden down into Pine the same as upon any other day. Roy reported also news which had come in that morning, how Beasley's crowd had celebrated late the night before.

The second and third and fourth days endlessly wore away, and Helen believed they had made her old. At night she lay awake most of the time, thinking and praying, but during the afternoon she got some sleep. She could think of nothing and talk of nothing except her sister, and Dale's chances of saving her.

"Well, sh.o.r.e you pay Dale a pore compliment," finally protested the patient Roy. "I tell you--Milt Dale can do anythin' he wants to do in the woods. You can believe thet. ... But I reckon he'll run chances after he comes back."

This significant speech thrilled Helen with its a.s.surance of hope, and made her blood curdle at the implied peril awaiting the hunter.

On the afternoon of the fifth day Helen was abruptly awakened from her nap. The sun had almost set. She heard voices--the shrill, cackling notes of old Mrs. Ca.s.s, high in excitement, a deep voice that made Helen tingle all over, a girl's laugh, broken but happy. There were footsteps and stamping of hoofs. Dale had brought Bo back! Helen knew it. She grew very weak, and had to force herself to stand erect. Her heart began to pound in her very ears. A sweet and perfect joy suddenly flooded her soul. She thanked G.o.d her prayers had been answered. Then suddenly alive with sheer mad physical gladness, she rushed out.

She was just in time to see Roy Beeman stalk out as if he had never been shot, and with a yell greet a big, gray-clad, gray-faced man--Dale.

"Howdy, Roy! Glad to see you up," said Dale. How the quiet voice steadied Helen! She beheld Bo. Bo, looking the same, except a little pale and disheveled! Then Bo saw her and leaped at her, into her arms.

"Nell! I'm here! Safe--all right! Never was so happy in my life....

Oh-h! talk about your adventures! Nell, you dear old mother to me--I've had e-enough forever!"

Bo was wild with joy, and by turns she laughed and cried. But Helen could not voice her feelings. Her eyes were so dim that she could scarcely see Dale when he loomed over her as she held Bo. But he found the hand she put shakily out.

"Nell!... Reckon it's been harder--on you." His voice was earnest and halting. She felt his searching gaze upon her face. "Mrs. Ca.s.s said you were here. An' I know why."

Roy led them all indoors.

"Milt, one of the neighbor boys will take care of thet hoss," he said, as Dale turned toward the dusty and weary Ranger. "Where'd you leave the cougar?"

"I sent him home," replied Date.

"Laws now, Milt, if this ain't grand!" cackled Mrs. Ca.s.s. "We've worried some here. An' Miss Helen near starved a-hopin' fer you."

"Mother, I reckon the girl an' I are nearer starved than anybody you know," replied Dale, with a grim laugh.

"Fer the land's sake! I'll be fixin' supper this minit."

"Nell, why are you here?" asked Bo, suspiciously.

For answer Helen led her sister into the spare room and closed the door.

Bo saw the baggage. Her expression changed. The old blaze leaped to the telltale eyes.

"He's done it!" she cried, hotly.

"Dearest--thank G.o.d. I've got you--back again!" murmured Helen, finding her voice. "Nothing else matters!... I've prayed only for that!"

"Good old Nell!" whispered Bo, and she kissed and embraced Helen. "You really mean that, I know. But nix for yours truly! I'm back alive and kicking, you bet.... Where's my--where's Tom?"

"Bo, not a word has been heard of him for five days. He's searching for you, of course."

"And you've been--been put off the ranch?"

"Well, rather," replied Helen, and in a few trembling words she told the story of her eviction.

Bo uttered a wild word that had more force than elegance, but it became her pa.s.sionate resentment of this outrage done her sister.

"Oh!... Does Tom Carmichael know this?" she added, breathlessly.

"How could he?"

"When he finds out, then--Oh, won't there be h.e.l.l? I'm glad I got here first.... Nell, my boots haven't been off the whole blessed time. Help me. And oh, for some soap and hot water and some clean clothes! Nell, old girl, I wasn't raised right for these Western deals. Too luxurious!"

And then Helen had her ears filled with a rapid-fire account of running horses and Riggs and outlaws and Beasley called boldly to his teeth, and a long ride and an outlaw who was a hero--a fight with Riggs--blood and death--another long ride--a wild camp in black woods--night--lonely, ghostly sounds--and day again--plot--a great actress lost to the world--Ophelia--Snakes and Ansons--hoodooed outlaws--mournful moans and terrible cries--cougar--stampede--fight and shots, more blood and death--Wilson hero--another Tom Carmichael--fallen in love with outlaw gun-fighter if--black night and Dale and horse and rides and starved and, "Oh, Nell, he WAS from Texas!"

Helen gathered that wonderful and dreadful events had hung over the bright head of this beloved little sister, but the bewilderment occasioned by Bo's fluent and remarkable utterance left only that last sentence clear.

Presently Helen got a word in to inform Bo that Mrs. Ca.s.s had knocked twice for supper, and that welcome news checked Bo's flow of speech when nothing else seemed adequate.

It was obvious to Helen that Roy and Dale had exchanged stories. Roy celebrated this reunion by sitting at table the first time since he had been shot; and despite Helen's misfortune and the suspended waiting balance in the air the occasion was joyous. Old Mrs. Ca.s.s was in the height of her glory. She sensed a romance here, and, true to her s.e.x, she radiated to it.

Daylight was still lingering when Roy got up and went out on the porch.

His keen ears had heard something. Helen fancied she herself had heard rapid hoof-beats.

"Dale, come out!" called Roy, sharply.