A movement among the cottonwoods attracted her. A man was walking there, slowly, as one on patrol. She watched him go the length of the row of trees; then followed his slow progress back, saw him stand watching the house a moment before he moved on towards the bunkhouse. She lay awake for hours that night, partly from a helpless rage and, later, a rare thrill, a hope, perhaps, kept sleep from her mind. CHAPTER III THE NESTER--AND ANOTHER "Now about the men, Miss Hunter," said Hepburn. When he reached this subject he looked through the deep window far down the creek and had Jane known him better she might have seen hesitancy with his deliberation, as though he approached the subject reluctantly. "How many will you need?" she asked. "Not many yet. Four besides myself. There's seven here now. That is, there'll be six, because one is pullin' out this mornin' of his own accord. We'll need more when the round-up starts, but until then--about June--we can get along. The fewer the better." "That will be largely up to you. Of course, I will be consulted." "I guess we'll keep Curtis and Oliver. Then there's Two-Bits--" "Oh, keep Two-Bits by all means!" she laughed. "I'm in love with him already!" "All right, we'll keep Two-Bits. As for the other, there's a chance to choose because--" "Beck; how about him?" Her manner was a bit too casual and she folded a sheet of memoranda with minute care before her foreman, who eyed her sharply, replied: "He's settled that for himself, I guess. He was packin' his war bag when I come down here. I told him to come to the house for his time." "You mean he's leaving?" Hepburn nodded. "Why?" "Well, I guess his nose is out of joint at not bein' picked for foreman." "But he wouldn't even draw. Said he wouldn't take a chance!" "I know. He appeared not to give a hang for the job, but he's a funny man. He an' I never got along any too well. We don't hitch." "Is he a good worker?" "If he wants to be. He don't say much, but he always.... Why, he always seems to be laughin' at everybody and everything." "I think _I_ could persuade him to want to work for me." "Perhaps. But then, too, he's hot tempered. In kind of bad with some of the boys over trouble he's had." "What trouble?" "Why, principally because he beat up a man--Sam McKee--on the beef ride last fall." "What for?" "Well.... He thought this man was a little rough with his horse." "And he whipped him because he had abused a horse? That, it seems to me, isn't much against him." "No; maybe not. He beat him a sight worse than he beat his horse," he explained, moving uneasily. "Anyhow, he's settled that. Here he comes now, after his time." Jane stepped nearer the window. Beck approached, whistling softly. He wore leather chaps with a leather fringe and great, silver conchos. A revolver swung at his hip. His movements were easy and graceful. She opened the door and, seeing her, he removed his hat. "I've come for my time, ma'am," he explained.