"We both fired tuhgether, Bryant an' me. His rifle bullet jest missed me. It drilled my hat here, as you c'n see." Yuma stuck his finger through a neat hole in his hat. "I was fool enough tuh let Bryant know that I knowed the crooks that was workin' here. He tried tuh kill me so's I couldn't tell no one." "Yuma, that isn't true. Uncle Bryant fired at Mort. He thought he hit Mort; he told me so." Yuma nodded. "That's what his story'll be," he said, "only, it don't go down with me. I come tuh ask yuh, Miss Penny, if there ain't some place you can go instead o' here." "But I don't want to go anywhere else. Furthermore, I don't believe what you said about my uncle." "Yuh won't leave, eh?" "Of course not! This is my home!" "It'd be downright unsafe here if somethin' happened tuh Bryant, wouldn't it, ma'am?" Penny drew herself up stiffly. "Aren't you," she demanded, "having a lot to say--for a cowhand?" "Mebbe so," the cowboy muttered. "I'm right sorry." With that he turned and walked away. Penny sat down on the steps more bewildered than ever. She felt weak, helpless against the strange confusion of ideas and intrigue, suspicions and apprehensions, in the Basin. She stared across the level ground and saw the mouth of Bryant's Gap brilliantly lighted by the moon. Chapter X THE LONE RANGER It was daybreak when the man in the cave wakened in surprise to find that he had slept the night through. A fragrant aroma of coffee and bacon crisping on a fire made him realize that he was ready for a solid meal. Tonto looked up from his cooking and grinned. The Texan felt of his wounded shoulder. He was amazed at the way the swelling had completely disappeared. He could even move his arm without too much pain. He felt alive this morning. He stood. He was a bit unsteady, but his wounded foot would bear his weight, thanks to the manner in which Tonto had bandaged it. Sunlight streamed past the opening of the cave and turned the Gap bright and cheerful. Cold water dashed into his face made the Ranger wide-awake. He felt of his three-day growth of beard and turned to Tonto. "I must look like a desert rat," he said ruefully. "That easy to fix. How you feel?" "First-rate, Tonto, thanks to you." Tonto beamed and dished up fresh eggs with the bacon. "Today," he said, "you get plenty well."