They roped a couple of the wandering horses, improvised hackamores from the rope cut in two, and went to meet Judith. Carson snatched eagerly at her hand and squeezed it and looked inexpressible things from his one useful eye. He gave his saddled horse to her, watched her and Lee ride on to the ranch, and sent Tommy to the old cabin for another rope, while he rounded up some more horses in a narrow canon for Burkitt and Hampton. "You damn' fool," he said growlingly to Hampton, "look what you've done." "Of course I'm a damn fool," replied Hampton, by now his old cheerful self. "I've apologized to Judith and Lee and Burkitt. I apologize to you. I'll tell you confidentially that I'm a sucker and a Come-on-Charlie. I haven't got the brains of a jack-rabbit." Carson went away grumbling. But for the first time he felt a vague respect for Pollock Hampton. "He'll be a real man some day," thought Carson, "if the fool-killer don't pick him off first." "You may come and see me this evening," Judith told Bud Lee as he left her to Marcia's arms. "I'll be eating and sleeping and taking baths until then. Thank you for the bacon--and the water--and----" She smiled at him from Marcia's excited embrace. Bud Lee, the blood tingling through him, left her. "Before I come to you, Judith girl," he whispered to himself as he went, "I'll have to have little talk with Bayne Trevors." XXIX LEE AND OLD MAN CARSON RIDE TOGETHER Bud Lee, riding alone toward the Western Lumber Camp, turned in his saddle to glance back as he heard hoof-beats behind him. It was Carson, and the old cattleman was riding hard. Lee frowned. Then for an instant a smile softened his stern eyes. "Good little old Carson," he muttered. Carson came to his side, saying merely in his dry voice: "Mind if I come along, Bud? You an' me have rid into one thing an' another more'n just once." "This is my fight," said Lee coolly. "Who said it wasn't?" demanded the other querulously. "Only you ain't got any call to be a hawg, Bud. Besides, I got a right to see if there's a fair break, ain't I? Say, look at them cow brutes back yonder! Don't it beat all how silage, when you use it right, shapes 'em up?"