As he beheld the girl snatched from a terrible death by the hands of another, a great rage burned in his heart. In his ears, the words of his father, "you'll save her life and she'll be grateful" kept ringing. But instead of being grateful to him she would be grateful to the handsome stranger and his jealousy pictured the rest. No incident of the scene between the rescued girl, her father and the rescuers had escaped his eye. As he heard the banker's offer and the stranger's retort, a malignant grin overspread his ugly countenance, only to disappear the next instant at the expression on Sally's face as she ran to join her father. With a savage oath, Consollas wheeled his pony, rowelling the animal viciously with his spurs, and dashed off to the store. But his father had witnessed the abortive attempt of his son and when the latter burst into his private office, he checked his wild words, waving him to a chair. "It's too bad, Fred, you didn't do better," he began, but the lad blurted: "Too bad? I'll be the laughing stock of the Springs and it'll be your fault because you told me to get on my pony. The people have gone crazy over those strangers." Surprised at the vicious ring in his son's voice, the elder Consollas watched him a few minutes before continuing: "What I was going to say was that while it was too bad you couldn't have saved the girl yourself, we can take the wind out of those men's sails." "How?" snapped the fellow, his dull eyes brightening. "Just close the transom over my door and I'll tell you. That's it, now draw your chair up closer to mine. What I'm going to say is for your ears alone." Wondering what scheme had been evolved in his father's brain, the youth obeyed. "Did you notice anything about the horse that brown bearded man rode?" whispered the storekeeper. "No," returned Fred, more mystified than ever. "Where are your eyes, boy? _That horse is the living image of my roan mare, Betty!_" As the elder Consollas breathed the significant words, he scanned the face of his son for some gleam of intelligence. Several moments the youth blinked his eyes, then slowly they shone with the light of understanding and excitedly he exclaimed: "They stole the horse, you mean?" "Good boy. We'll raise the cry that my mare has disappeared. While you're riding to the pasture to drive Betty into the woods, I'll drop down to the tent where the strangers are, look at their ponies and swear that the roan is mine. "The people will do the rest. There's only one end for horse thieves and that's the hangman's noose. "The rescue will be forgotten when your rival is dangling from a tree." The plot met with the unqualified approval of the lad and his toad-like body quivered with excitement. "Now be off to the pasture," commanded his father. And as Fred galloped away to drive the mare into the woods, the storekeeper picked up his hat and set forth to attend to his part of the dirty business.