He smiled at her, but from sobered eyes. Confused by his evident seriousness, she made one more attempt, and laughed: "Well, if you won't tell me who you are, won't you please tell me what you are?" The door swung open then, and on the heels of her question came voices from without. One voice rose high above the rest, and they heard: "Aw, come on; le's have jus' one more little drag at th' bottle!" VB looked at Gail a bit wildly. Those words meant that out there whisky was waiting for him, and at its mention that searing thing sprang alive in his throat! "What am I?" he repeated dully, trying to rally himself. "What am I?" Unknowingly his fingers gripped her arm. "Who knows? I don't!" And he flung out of the place, wanting but one thing--to be with the Captain, to feel the stallion's nose in his arms, to stand close to the body which housed a spirit that knew no defeat. As he strode past the bonfire a man's face leered at him from the far side. The man was Rhues. CHAPTER XV Murder The incident at the schoolhouse was not overlooked. Gail Thorpe was not the only one who heard and saw and understood; others connected the mention of drink with VB's sudden departure. The comment went around in whispers at the dance, to augment and amplify those other stories which had arisen back in the Anchor bunk house and which had been told by Rhues of the meeting in Ranger. "Young VB is afraid to take a drink," declared a youth to a group about the fire where they discussed the incident. He laughed lightly and Dick Worth looked sharply at the boy. "Mebby he is," he commented, reprimand in his tone, "an' mebby it'd be a good thing for some o' you kids if you was afraid. Don't laugh at him! We know he's pretty much man--'cause he's done real things since comin' in here a rank greenhorn. Don't laugh! You ought to help, instead o' that." And the young fellow, taking the rebuke, admitted: "I guess you're right. Maybe the booze has put a crimp in him." So VB gave the community one more cause for watching him. Quick to perceive, ever taking into consideration his achievements which spoke of will and courage, Clear River gave him silent sympathy, and promptly put the matter out of open discussion. It was no business of theirs so long as VB kept it to himself. Yet they watched, knowing a fight was being waged and guessing at the outcome, the older and wiser ones hoping while they guessed. When Bob Thorpe announced to his daughter that he was going to Jed Avery's ranch and would like to have her drive him over through the first feathery dusting of snow, a strain of unpleasant thinking which had endured for three days was broken for the girl. In fact, her relief was so evident that the cattleman stared hard at his daughter. "You're mighty enthusiastic about that place, seems to me," he remarked. "Why shouldn't I be?" she asked. "There's where they keep the finest horse in this country!" "Is that all?" he asked, a bit grimly.