“But it isn’t Bannister—not the Bannister they think it is.” He shook his head. “No use, ma’am. I’ve talked till my throat aches, but it don’t do a mite of good. Nobody believes a word of what I say. Y’u see, we ain’t got any proof.” “Proof! We have enough, God knows! didn’t this villain—this outlaw that calls himself Jack Holloway—attack and try to murder him?” “That’s what we believe, but the report out is that one of us punchers shot him up for crossing the dead-line.” “Didn’t this fellow hold up the ranch and try to take Ned Bannister away with him?” “Yes, ma’am. But that doesn’t look good to most people. They say he had his friends come to take him away so y’u wouldn’t hold him and let us boys get him. This cousin business is a fairy tale the way they size it up. How come this cousin to let him go if he held up the ranch to put the sick man out of business? No, miss. This country has made up its mind that your friend is the original Ned Bannister. My opinion is that nothing on earth can save him.” “I don’t want your opinion. I’m going to save him, I tell you; and you are going to help. Are his friends nothing but a bunch of quitters?” she cried, with sparkling eyes. “I didn’t know I was such a great friend of his,” answered the cowboy sulkily. “You’re a friend of Jim McWilliams, aren’t you? Are you going to sneak away and let these curs hang him?” Denver flushed. “Y’u’re dead right, Miss Helen. I guess I’ll see it out with you. What’s the orders?” “I want you to help me organize a defense. Get all Mac’s friends stirred up to make a fight for him. Bring as many of them in to see me during the day as you can. If you see any of the rest of the Lazy D boys send them in to me for instructions. Report yourself every hour to me. And make sure that at least three of your friends that you can trust are hanging round the jail all day so as to be ready in case any attempt is made to storm it before dark.” “I’ll see to it.” Denver hung on his heel a moment before leaving. “It’s only square to tell y’u, Miss Helen, that this means war here tonight. These streets are going to run with blood if we try to save them.” “I’m taking that responsibility,” she told him curtly; but a moment later she added gently: “I have a plan, my friend, that may stop this outrage yet. But you must do your best for me.” She smiled sadly at him. “You’re my foreman, to-day, you know.” “I’m going to do my level best, y’u may tie to that,” he told her earnestly. “I know you will.” And their fingers touched for an instant. Through a window the girl could see a crowd pouring down the street toward the hotel. She flew up the stairs and out upon the second-story piazza that looked down upon the road.