She swept on, her light skirt blown about her, her loosened hair whipping her hot face, while a thud of hoofs broke out behind her. The horse's blood was up, too, so she let him go, stretched out at a flying gallop, up low rise and over long level. The birches flashed by, and the open waste lay in front. While nobody riding that pace could find the trail, there was a shallow coulee a league away with stunted birches on the edge of it, which would presently rise for a landmark out of the prairie. Once she glanced over her shoulder. There was only the soft darkness, out of which there came a thumping that seemed to be growing fainter. She was almost upon the birches when she heard another beat of hoofs in front of her now, and she sent up a breathless cry. "Charley!" she called, and again in fierce impatience, "Charley!" For a moment she was conscious of a torturing suspense, and then a man's voice came out of the darkness in answer. "All right," it said. "I'm coming straight along." In another few moments a shadowy figure had materialised out of the prairie. She pulled her horse up with a struggle when Leland drew bridle beside her. "Steady, my dear," he said. "Get your breath and tell me what it is." Carrie gasped out her news, and the man sat silent a moment or two. "Urmston's there, and Mrs. Annersly," he said. "I don't think they'll hurt them, but I'd better get on." Carrie leant out from the saddle, and attempted to touch his bridle as the fidgeting horses pranced side by side. "No," she said, "you mustn't. I will not have you go. I think they mean to kill you." Leland appeared to smile. "I guess that contract would be a little too big for them. Still, if Urmston riled them, they might hurt him. The man's a friend of yours." Carrie laughed somewhat bitterly. "I don't think he will do anything very injudicious. Eveline Annersly's room is just across the house, and she sleeps very soundly." "They wouldn't hurt her," said Leland, reflectively. "One could count on that. Urmston would be all right, too, if he has sense enough to keep quiet. Now, there are two of Grier's troopers camping in a bluff a league back to watch the trail, and if I could only bring them up before the rustlers go, we ought to get one or two of them. It's 'most worth while trying. You'll ride round with me?" Nothing more was said when Carrie signified that she was willing, and they rode on again to where the troopers were. Then with these reinforcements they turned back to Prospect, arriving there when dawn was climbing into the sky. There was no sign of the rustlers, but Urmston stood just outside the door. "They went soon after Mrs. Leland got away," he said. "I feel that I ought to make excuses for leaving the thing to her, though I'm not sure that there was, in view of the circumstances, any other course open to me."