"Wes Vickers, ma'am." There was disgust in his eyes. "I never meant to mention it, ma'am; that was a slip of the tongue. But when I saw the picture, I knowed I was goin' to love you. There ain't nothin' happened yet to show that you won't think a lot of me, some day." "You frighten me," she mocked. "I reckon you ain't none frightened," he laughed. "But I expect you're some disturbed--me sayin' what I've said while you're engaged to Masten. I'm apologizing ma'am. You be loyal to Masten--as I know you'd be, anyway. An' some day, when you've broke off with him, I'll come a-courtin'." "So you're sure that I'm going to break my engagement with Masten, are you?" she queried, trying her best to be scornful, but not succeeding very well. "How do you know that?" "There's somethin' that you don't see that's been tellin' me, ma'am. Mebbe some day that thing will be tellin' you the same stuff, an' then you'll understand," he said enigmatically. "Well," she said, pressing her lips together as though this were to be her last word on the subject; "I have heard that the wilderness sometimes makes people dream strange dreams, and I suppose yours is one of them." She wheeled her pony and sent it scampering onward toward the ranchhouse. He followed, light of heart, for while she had taunted him, she had also listened to him, and he felt that progress had been made. CHAPTER XI HAGAR'S EYES Randerson had been in no hurry to make an attempt to catch the rustlers whose depredations he had reported to Ruth. He had told the men to be doubly alert to their work, and he had hired two new men--from the Diamond H--to replace those who had left the Flying W. His surmise that they wanted to join Chavis had been correct, for the two new men--whom he had put on special duty and had been given permission to come and go when they pleased--had reported this fact to him. There was nothing to do, however, but to wait, in the hope that one day the rustlers would attempt to run cattle off when one or more of the men happened to be in the vicinity. And then, if the evidence against the rustlers were convincing enough, much would depend on the temper of himself and the men as to whether Ruth's orders that there should be no hanging would be observed. There would be time enough to decide that question if any rustlers were caught. He had seen little of the Easterner during the past two or three weeks. Masten rarely showed himself on the range any more--to Randerson's queries about him the men replied that they hadn't seen him. But Randerson was thinking very little about Masten as he rode through the brilliant sunshine this afternoon. He was going again to Catherson's, to see Hagar. Recollections of the change that had come over the girl were disquieting, and he wanted to talk to her again to determine whether she really had changed, or whether he had merely fancied it.