"I followed you out to tell you it was decent of you to insist that I stay over a few days," Deane said. "It was a white thing to do, considering that we both want the same thing." "We both want her to have what's best for her," Harris said. "And I don't know as she could do any better than to take up with you." "It may sound rather trite--coming after that," Deane said. "But anyway, I'll have to say that I feel the same way about you." "Then, if we're both right in our estimates, why she can't go very far wrong, either way she turns," Harris said. "So I reckon we're both content." Harris moved on and motioned Deane to accompany him. "I thought I glimpsed a man I knew a few minutes back," Harris said. "I'd like right well to have a talk with him." They wandered completely round the post and looked in the shadows of the outbuildings but could find no trace of life. "Likely I was mistaken," Harris said at last. "I saw a face just outside the door. He was more or less on my mind--the party I thought it was. Some one else I expect, and he's gone inside." They returned to the hall. Morrow stood with two Halfmoon D men at the end of the bar. Harris motioned him aside and Morrow withdrew from the others. "This is pretty far north for you, Morrow," Harris suggested. "Is there any one restricting my range?" Morrow demanded. "If there is I'd like to know." "Then I'll tell you," Harris answered. "The road is open--as long as you keep on the road. Any time you stray a foot off the beaten trail you're on the Three Bar range. I don't figure to get gunned up from the brush more than once by the same man. Every Three Bar boy has orders to shoot you down on sight any time you heave in view anywhere within twenty miles of the Three Bar; so I wouldn't stray off the main-traveled road any time you're going through." Lanky Evans had detached himself from a group and Morrow looked up to find the tall man standing at his shoulder. "So you hunt in pairs," Morrow remarked. "And later in packs," Lanky returned. "Why don't you ever come up and visit us? Every time I'm riding north I keep looking back, expecting to see you come cantering up from the south. Harris been commenting about the little dead-line we've drawn on you?" "What's the object of all this conversation?" Morrow flared. "If you've got anything to say to me why get it over with." "Nothing special," Evans said. "I just thought maybe I could goad you into being imprudent enough to come up our way--which I'm sure hoping to observe you north of the line and somewhere within a thousand yards." Evans turned away and Morrow rejoined the two men he had left at the bar. Deane looked about him. Apparently no one had noticed the little by-play.