She _had_ formed an opinion, though, a conclusive one--concerning Dakota. But she had no idea of communicating it to Duncan. Until now, strangely enough, she had had no curiosity concerning him. Bitter hatred and resentment had been so active in her brain that the latter had held no place for curiosity. Or at least, if it had been there, it had been a subconscious emotion, entirely overshadowed by bitterness. Of late, though her resentment toward Dakota had not abated, she had been able to review the incident of her marriage to him with more composure, and therefore a growing curiosity toward the man seemed perfectly justifiable. Curiosity moved her now as she smiled deliberately at Duncan. "I have seen no one except your sister, a few cowboys, and yourself. I haven't paid much attention to the cowboys, I like your sister, and I am not in the habit of telling people to their faces what I think of them. The country does not appear to be densely populated. Are there no other ranches around here--no other cattlemen?" "The Double R ranch covers an area of one hundred and sixty square miles," said Duncan. "The ranchhouse is right near the center of it. For about twenty miles in every direction you won't find anybody but Double R men. There are line-camps, of course--dugouts where the men hang out over night sometimes--but that's all. To my knowledge there are only two men with shacks around here, and they're mostly of no account. One of them is Doubler--Ben Doubler--who hangs out near Two Forks, and the other is a fellow who calls himself Dakota, who's got a shack about twenty miles down the Ute, a little off the Lazette trail." "They are ranchers, I suppose?" Sheila's face was averted so that Duncan might not see the interest in her eyes, or the red which had suddenly come into her cheeks. "Ranchers?" There was a sneer in Duncan's laugh. "Well, you might call them that. But they're only nesters. They've got a few head of cattle and a brand. It's likely they've put their brands on quite a few of the Double R cattle." "You mean----" began Sheila in a low voice. "I mean that I think they're rustlers--cattle thieves!" said Duncan venomously. The flush had gone from Sheila's cheeks; she turned a pale face to the Double R manager. "How long have these men lived in the vicinity of the Double R?" "Doubler has been hanging around here for seven or eight years. He was here when I came and mebbe he's been here longer. Dakota's been here about five years. He bought his brand--the Star--from another nester--Texas Blanca." "They've been stealing the Double R cattle, you say?" questioned Sheila. "That's what I think." "Why don't you have them arrested?"