Purdy caught it in a gloved hand, and again he laughed: "Plenty more of these yeller boys where this come from," he announced flipping the shining disk into the air and catching it, "I'm goin' away fer a few days, jest you say the word, an' when I come back I'll bring you a--a diamon' ring--diamon' as big as yer thumb nail--I'll treat you swell if you'll let me." The girl cuddled the dead lamb in her arms: "I despise you! I utterly loathe you!" "Purtier'n ever when yer mad," he opined. "I'll make you mad sometimes jest for fun----" "Some day I think I'll kill you," she spoke in a low, level tone and her eyes stared directly into his. Purdy laughed loudly: "That's a good one. Here, do it now." He drew a gun from its holster and grasping it by the barrel, extended the butt toward the girl. She shrank into the doorway still clutching the lamb. The man returned the gun to its place and leaned forward in the saddle, "If you'll be reasonable--listen: You throw in with me, an' I'll quit the horse game. I've got a-plenty, an' we'll go somewhere's an' buy us an outfit--bigger outfit than this, too--an' we'll settle down. I never liked the business, nohow. I was forced into it when I was young, an' I've always wanted to get out--with a good woman to--to kind of help a feller along----" The girl laughed harshly. "Don't try that on me--you can't get away with it. I'll tell you once and for all, I despise you. I wouldn't trust you as far as I would a rattlesnake. You are the most loathesome creature in the world. You're nothing but a low-down horse-thief, and you never will be anything but a horse-thief, till somebody shoots you--then you'll be a carrion." Her eyes were blazing again, and Purdy actually winced at her words. "If you were dying of thirst I'd pour alkali dust down your throat. Do I make myself plain? Do you understand now thoroughly just what I think of you? Because if you don't I'll go on and explain----" "Oh, I guess I git you, all right," sneered Purdy, "from what you mentioned I gather you ain't seriously considerin' me for a husban'. Well, you've had yer say--next time it'll be my turn. Them was hard words, but some day you'll eat 'em--an' when you've got 'em et, you'll sing a different tune. Where's McWhorter?" "Lambing camp," she answered shortly, and disappeared into the cabin slamming the door behind her. Purdy sat for a moment staring at the door, then whirled his horse, and rode away. The girl's words had thrown him into a terrible rage: "This time a week from now, you'll wish to God you hadn't spoke 'em," he muttered, and, avoiding the lambing camp, swung toward the river. "Kill me some day, will she? She meant it, too. She's a hell-cat!"