Throughout the latter part of the conversation Kate had barely spoken above a whisper, but to Loudon it seemed that she fairly shouted. He was positive that all the town had heard. His dismayed eyes slid round. He half-expected to see Mrs. Mace and her neighbours craning their necks with their hands cupped round their ears. But Mrs. Mace was not visible, and the score of people in view were not displaying undue interest. Loudon breathed more easily. "Yuh--yuh----" he stammered, his face beet-red. "Yuh hadn't ought to 'a' said that." "Why not?" she demanded, coolly. "It's true." Her self-possession was extraordinary. She was not even blushing. This was a Kate that Loudon did not know. In the face of her bald assertion he could not tell her that matters had completely changed; that he loved her no longer. No, not that. He realized his disadvantage acutely, and squirmed. Kate looked expectant. He must say something, and quickly, too, or she would propose to him on the spot. "I--I got to be goin'!" he exclaimed, desperately. "Scotty's waitin' for me. Gug-gug-good-bye." "Good-bye, Tom," said Kate, with a radiant smile. "I'll see you some other time." "Some other time!" groaned Loudon, as he galloped down the street. "Some other time! She will, too. An' what'll I do? What'll I do? I don't like her any more. I don't like her a little bit. This is shore one helluva of a fix!" "What did she do to yuh?" inquired Scotty, when Loudon joined him. "Do to me! What do you mean?" "Yuh look like yuh'd just missed being hugged to death by a b'ar. No offence, Tom, but yuh sure do look a heap shivery." "It's them pickles I had for supper, Scotty. I knowed they'd make me sick." "They was rich, for a fact." They loped in silence for a half-hour. "Scotty," said Loudon, suddenly, "if anybody comes out to the ranch a-lookin' for me, tell 'em I've pulled my freight yuh dunno where." "Anybody?" Scotty quirked an eyebrow. "Anybody--man, woman, or child." "Well, say, look here, Tom!" exclaimed Scotty in alarm. "Yuh don't mean to say that Miss Saltoun girl is a-comin' out to the Flyin' M." "I dunno. I hope not." "Which I hope not, too. She's so good-lookin' she scares me, she does. I don't want to go nowheres near her, an' I won't, neither. No, sirree. If she ever comes a-traipsin' out to the ranch yuh can do yore own talkin'." "Aw, keep yore shirt on. I guess now she won't come." "I'll bet she's a-aimin' to, or yuh wouldn't 'a' said what yuh did. Yuh can't fool me, Tom. She'll come, an' she'll bring Jim Mace's wife along for a chaperon, an' they'll most likely stay for two meals, an' I'll have to grub in the corral. Great note this is! Druv out o' my own home by a couple o' female women!