When she passed Jane Hunter, who stood amazed in her buckboard, tears showed in the girl's eyes, but her back was as erect, her shoulders as trimly set as though no great emotion was surging in her heart. "She's quite a catamount, I'll guess," said Tom Beck as he gave the knot in the tie rope a securing tug and turned to face Jane. His eyes were fired with admiration. "But a girl--" "She was magnificent!" It was Dick Hilton who had interrupted with the words. Beck looked at him and the enthusiasm which had been in his face faded. He eyed the Easterner briefly and turned to adjust a buckle on the harness. "And only a girl!" exclaimed Jane under her breath. "Dick, did you see it all?" "A typical Western girl, I should say," he replied. "Your.... Your neighbor and associate? Your companion, Jane?" he asked. "The sort you want to cast your lot with?" "And a moment ago you thought her magnificent!" she taunted as she stepped down and offered him her hand. "I'll meet you in, say, two hours, ma'am," Beck said. "Very well; right here," she replied, and he left her as she turned to meet Hilton's unpleasant smile. * * * * * They began the return trip shortly after noon. Hilton had been with Jane when Tom returned and he stood beside the buckboard talking some minutes after Beck had picked up the reins and was ready to commence the drive. Occasionally Dick's eyes wandered from Jane to the other man's face but Tom sat, knees crossed, idly toying with the whip, as indifferent to what was being said as if the others were out of sight and hearing. Hilton made an obvious effort to exclude the Westerner but Beck's disregard of him was as genuine as it was evident. He sat patiently, with an easy sense of superiority and the contrast was not lost on Jane Hunter. The town was far behind and below them, a mere cluster of miniature buildings, before either spoke. Then it was Jane. "That girl.... There was something splendid about her, wasn't there?" "There was," he agreed. "She sure expressed her opinion of men in general!" "A newcomer, evidently." Beck nodded. "Came in soon after you did, with her father, it looked like." "And she wins the respect of strange men by blows!" she said. "He deserved all he got, didn't he?" Beck asked, smiling. "I like to see a bad _hombre_ like that get set down by a woman. There's something humiliating about it that counts a lot more than the whippin' she gave him." "But wouldn't it have spoken more for the chivalry of the country if some man had done it for her?" "That's likely. But there ain't much chivalry here, ma'am." "And am I so fortunate as to have enjoyed the protection of what little there is?" He looked at her blankly. "I had to come clear to Ute Crossing to learn how one man defended me from the insult of another." He stirred uneasily on the seat. "That was nothin'," he growled. "I'd been waiting for a chance to land on Webb for a long time."