Hetty noticed the ring in her companion's voice, and Allonby made a little deprecatory gesture. "It's quite evident they had too much trouble getting him to take any chances of losing him," he said. "I wish the fellow would turn his head. I fancy I should know him." A tremor ran through Hetty for she also felt she recognized that tattered figure. Then one of the horsemen seized the captive's bridle, and the man made a slight indignant gesture as the jerk flung off his hands. Flora Schuyler closed her fingers tight. "If I were a man I should go down and talk quite straight to them," she said. The prisoner was sitting stiffly now, but he swayed in the saddle when one of the cattle-men struck his horse and it plunged. He turned his head as he did so, and the moonlight shone into his face. It was very white, and there was a red smear on his forehead. Hetty gasped, and Flora Schuyler felt her fingers close almost cruelly upon her arm. "It's Larry!" she said. Christopher Allonby nodded. "Yes, we have him at last," he said. "Of course, one feels sorry; but he brought it on himself. They're going to put him into the stable." The men rode forward, and when they passed out of sight Hetty slipped back from behind the curtain, and, sat down, shivering as she looked up at Miss Schuyler. "I can't help it, Flo. If one could only make them let him go!" "You need not let any of them see it," said Miss Schuyler, sharply. "Sit quite still here and talk to me. Now, what right had those men to arrest him?" The warning was sufficient. Hetty shook out her dress and laughed, though her voice was not steady. "It's quite simple," she said. "The Sheriff can call out any citizen to help him or send any man off after a criminal in an emergency. Of course, being a responsible man he stands in with us, and in times like these the arrangement suits everybody. We do what seems the right thing, and the Sheriff is quite pleased when we tell him." Flora Schuyler smiled drily. "Yes. It's delightfully simple. Still, wouldn't it make the thing more square if the other men had a good-natured Sheriff, too?" "Now you are laughing at me. The difference is that we are in the right." "And Larry, of course, must be quite wrong!" "No," said Hetty, "he is mistaken. Flo, you have got to help me--I'm going to do something for him. Try to be nice to Chris Allonby. They'll send him to take care of Larry." Miss Schuyler looked steadily at her companion. "You tried to make me believe you didn't care for the man." A flush stole into Hetty's cheek, and a sparkle to her eyes. "Can't you do a nice thing without asking questions? Larry was very good to me for years, and--I'm sorry for him. Any way, it's so easy. Chris is young, and you could fool any man with those big blue eyes if he let you look at him."