“What do you think we should do with her, Solomon?” Buck met the cold blue eye of Haines.

“Maybe I ain’t Solomon,” he admitted genially, “but I don’t need no million wives to learn all there is to know about women.”

“Don’t make a fool of yourself, Buck,” said Silent.  “There ain’t no way of movin’ that damn girl.  She’s gone on a hunger strike an’ she’ll die in it.  We can’t send her out of the valley.  It’s hell to have her dyin’ on our hands here.  But there ain’t no way to make her change her mind.  I’ve tried pleadin’ with her—­I’ve even offered her money.  It don’t do no good.  Think of that!”

“Sure it don’t,” sneered Buck.  “Why, you poor bunch of yearlin’ calves, she don’t need no coaxin’.  What she needs is a manhandlin’.  She wants a master, that’s what she wants.”

“I suppose,” said Haines, “you think you’re man enough to change her?”

“None of that!” broke in Silent.  “D’you really think you could do somethin’ with her, Buck?”

“Can I do somethin’ with her?” repeated Buck scornfully.  “Why, boys, there ain’t nothin’ I can’t do with a woman.”

“Is it because of your pretty face or your winnin’ smile?” growled the deep bass of Bill Kilduff.

“Both!” said Buck, promptly.  “The wilder they are the harder they fall for me.  I’ve had a thirty-year old maverick eatin’ out of my hand like she’d been trained for it all her life.  The edyoucated ones say I’m ‘different’; the old maids allow that I’m ‘naive’; the pretty ones jest say I’m a ‘man,’ but they spell the word with capital letters.”

“Daniels, you’re drunk,” said Haines.

“Am I?  It’ll take a better man than you to make me sober, Haines!”

The intervening men jumped back, but the deep voice of Silent rang out like a pistol shot:  “Don’t move for your six-guns, or you’ll be playin’ agin me!”

Haines transferred his glare to Silent, but his hand dropped from his gun.  Daniels laughed.

“I ain’t no mile post with a hand pointin’ to trouble,” he said gently.  “All I say is that the girl needs excitement.  Life’s so damned dull for her that she ain’t got no interest in livin’.”

“If you’re fool enough to try,” said Silent, “go ahead.  What are you plannin’ to do?”

“You’ll learn by watchin’,” grinned Buck, taking the reins of his horse.  “I’m goin’ to ask the lady soft an’ polite to step up to her cabin an’ pile into some ham an’ eggs.  If she don’t want to I’ll rough her up a little, an’ she’ll love me for it afterwards!”

“The way she loves a snake!” growled Kilduff.

“By God, Silent,” said Haines, his face white with emotion, “if Buck puts a hand on her I’ll—­”

“Act like a man an’ not like a damn fool boy,” said Silent, dropping a heavy hand on the shoulder of his lieutenant.  “He won’t hurt her none, Lee.  I’ll answer for that.  Come on, Buck.  Speakin’ personal, I wish that calico was in hell.”