"You shan't kill my cousin. What do you mean? What are you doing here? Leave us!" "Get away, Nan, I tell you. I'll finish him," cried Morgan, puncturing every word with an oath. She whirled and caught her cousin in her arms. "He will shoot us both if you fire. Take me away, Gale. You coward," she exclaimed, whirling again with trembling tones on de Spain, "would you kill a woman?" De Spain saw the danger was past. It needed hardly an instant to show him that Morgan had lost stomach for a fight. He talked wrathfully, but he made no motion to draw. "I see I've got to chase you into a fight," said de Spain contemptuously, and starting gingerly to circle the hesitating cousin. Nan, in her excitement, ran directly toward the enemy, as if to cut off his movement. "Don't you dare put me in danger," she cried, facing de Spain threateningly. "Don't you dare fight my cousin here." "Stand away from me," hammered de Spain, eying Morgan steadily. "He is wounded now," stormed Nan, so fast she could hardly frame the words. "You shan't kill him. If you are a man, don't shoot a wounded man and a woman. You shan't shoot. Gale! protect yourself!" Whirling to face her cousin, she took the chance to back directly against de Spain. Both hands were spread open and partly behind her, the palms up, as if to check him. In the instant that she and de Spain were in contact he realized, rather than saw--for his eyes never released Morgan's eyes--what she was frantically slipping to him--the loaded cartridge. It was done in a flash, and she was running from him again. Her warm fingers had swept across his own. She had returned to him, voluntarily, his slender chance for life. But in doing it she had challenged him to a new and overwhelming interest in life itself. And again, in front of her cousin, she was crying out anew against the shedding of blood. "I came up here to fight a man. I don't fight women," muttered de Spain, maintaining the deceit and regarding both with an unpromising visage. Then to Morgan. "I'll talk to you later. But you've got to fight or get away from here, both of you, in ten seconds." "Take me away, Gale," cried Nan. "Leave him here--take me home! Take me home!" She caught her cousin's arm. "Stay right where you are," shouted Morgan, pointing at de Spain, and following Nan as she pulled him along. "When I come back, I'll give you what you're looking for." "Bring your friends," said de Spain tauntingly. "I'll accommodate four more of you. Stop!" With one hand still on his revolver he pointed the way. "Go down that trail first, Morgan. Stay where you are, girl, till he gets down that hill. You won't pot me over her shoulder for a while yet. Move!" Morgan took the path sullenly, de Spain covering every step he took. Behind de Spain Nan stood waiting for her cousin to get beyond earshot. "What," she whispered hurriedly to de Spain, "will you do?"