"What about it?" asked Penny. "Uncle Bryant has a right to make a contract or agreement with someone." "Wal, all's I know is that I heard Bryant ask Lonergan if he was dead sure the paper'd stand in court after he was dead and gone." Penny wanted to laugh at Gimlet's obvious concern over what was probably a will. His seriousness, however, impressed her. "That ain't all," said the old man. "I heard more. I heard Bryant sayin' he wanted tuh leave what he owned tuh them that deserved it, an' he didn't want none of his damned relatives contestin' the will in court o' law." "But after all, Gimlet, it's Uncle Bryant's ranch and he can do what he wants with it." "Nuther thing," growled Gimlet, "they's a puncher here, callin' hisself, 'Yuma.'" "What about him?" "Yuh c'n trust that big maverick, Miss Penny. He thinks a heap about you." Penny said nothing. Gimlet went on with a lengthy discourse about the fine qualities of Yuma. He and Yuma had spent hours in close confab in the kitchen, and Yuma had expressed his feelings, confidentially, to Gimlet. Penny's face grew red as the frank old man continued. Finally she cut him off. "Those children are waiting for you, Gimlet." "All right, I'm a-goin' tuh 'em. But you jest remember that Yuma is ace-high with me an' yore ace-high with _him_." Gimlet shuffled toward the kitchen door. Penny wanted to get away from the surroundings and be alone with her thoughts. She had at least two hours before her uncle would be expecting her for the evening meal. Hurriedly she changed to riding clothes and left the vicinity on Las Vegas. She discounted the seriousness of all that Gimlet had said about her uncle's "legal paper." Obviously just a will. The thing that concerned her most was the truth about Bryant's eyes. During the day she had tried to observe him carefully. There were times when she was sure he had trouble seeing things. Then she thought he had truly fired at Mort, but failing eyes had made his shot go wild and coincidence had made it drill Yuma's hat. There were other times when Bryant seemed to reach directly, without a trace of groping, for whatever he desired, and then she wondered. There was no doubt in her mind that Vince and Mort were involved in something or other that they didn't want too generally known. What of the men, the Texas Rangers, who Becky had said came to investigate and died for it? Lost in her thoughts, the girl rode on without thought or direction. She let the reins hang slack and paid no attention to the tangle of growing things that brushed past her. She was surprised, when she came back to reality, to find that Las Vegas had carried her up Thunder Mountain. She was well beyond the lower part of the path where it was rough. "Might as well keep going now," she said.