"Yuh shore ain't goin' to marry this one, but yuh are goin' to marry a cow thief!" "A--a what?" "A cow thief, a rustler, a sport who ain't particular whose cows he brands." "You lie!" "Yuh'll find out in time I'm tellin' the truth. I guess now I know more about Sam Blakely than you do, an' I tell yuh he's a rustler." "Kate! Oh, Kate!" called a voice outside. Kate sped through the doorway. Loudon, his lips set in a straight line, followed her quickly. There, not five yards from the kitchen door, Sam Blakely sat his horse. The eyes of the 88 manager went from Kate to Loudon and back to Kate. "What's the excitement?" inquired Blakely, easily. Kate levelled her forefinger at Loudon. "He says," she gulped, "he says you're a rustler." Blakely's hand swept downward. His six-shooter had barely cleared the edge of the holster when Loudon's gun flashed from the hip, and Blakely's weapon spun through the air and fell ten feet distant. With a grunt of pain, Blakely, using his left hand, whipped a derringer from under his vest. Again Loudon fired. Blakely reeled, the derringer spat harmlessly upward, and then Blakely, as his frightened horse reared and plunged, pitched backward out of the saddle and dropped heavily to the ground. Immediately the horse ran away. Kate, with a sharp cry, flung herself at the prostrate Blakely. "You've killed him!" she wailed. "Sam--Sam--speak to me!" But Sam was past speech. He had struck head first and was consequently senseless. Come running then Jimmy from the bunkhouse, Chuck Morgan from the corrals, Mr. Saltoun and Richie from the office. "He's dead! He's dead!" was the burden of Kate's shrill cries. "Let's see if he is," said the practical Richie, dropping on his knees at Blakely's side. "He didn't tumble like a dead man. Just a shake, ma'am, while I look at him. I can't see nothin' with you a-layin' all over him this-a-way. Yo're gettin' all over blood, too. There, now! She's done fainted. That's right, Salt. You take care of her." The capable Richie made a rapid examination. He looked up, hands on knees, his white teeth gleaming under his brown moustache. "He's all right," he said, cheerfully. "Heart's a-tickin' like a alarm-clock. Hole in his shoulder. Missed the bones. Bullet went right on through." At this juncture Kate recovered consciousness and struggled upright in her father's arms. "He shot first!" she cried, pointing at Loudon. "He didn't give him a chance!" "You'll excuse me, ma'am," said Richie, his tone good-humoured, but his eyes narrowing ever so slightly. "You'll excuse me for contradictin' yuh, but I happened to be lookin' through the office window an' I seen the whole thing. Sam went after his gun before Tom made a move." Blakely moved feebly, groaned, and opened his eyes. His gaze fell on Loudon, and his eyes turned venomous.