“I like the name,” said Haines.  “She sits the saddle like a man!”

Her pony darted off from some imaginary object in the middle of the road, and she swayed gracefully, following the sudden motion.  Her mount came to the sudden halt of the cattle pony and she slipped to the ground before Morgan could run out to help.  Even Lee Haines, who was far quicker, could not reach her in time.

“Sorry I’m late,” said Haines.  “Shall I tie your horse?”

The fast ride had blown colour to her face and good spirits into her eyes.  She smiled up to him, and as she shook her head in refusal her eyes lingered a pardonable moment on his handsome face, with the stray lock of tawny hair fallen low across his forehead.  She was used to frank admiration, but this unembarrassed courtesy was a new world to her.  She was still smiling when she turned to Morgan.

“You told my father the boys wouldn’t wear guns today.”

He was somewhat confused.

“They seem to be wearin’ them,” he said weakly, and his eyes wandered about the armed circle, pausing on the ominous forms of Hal Purvis, Bill Kilduff, and especially Jim Silent, a head taller than the rest.  He stood somewhat in the background, but the slight sneer with which he watched Whistling Dan dominated the entire picture.

“As a matter of fact,” went on Morgan, “it would be a ten man job to take the guns away from this crew.  You can see for yourself.”

She glanced about the throng and started.  She had seen Dan.

“How did he come here?”

“Oh, Dan?” said Morgan, “he’s all right.  He just pulled one of the prettiest shootin’ stunts I ever seen.”

“But he promised my father—­” began Kate, and then stopped, flushing.

If her father was right in diagnosing Dan’s character, this was the most critical day in his life, for there he stood surrounded by armed men.  If there were anything wild in his nature it would be brought out that day.  She was almost glad the time of trial had come.

She said:  “How about the guns, Mr. Morgan?”

“If you want them collected and put away for a while,” offered Lee Haines, “I’ll do what I can to help you!”

Her smile of thanks set his blood tingling.  His glance lingered a little too long, a little too gladly, and she coloured slightly.

“Miss Cumberland,” said Haines, “may I introduce myself?  My name is Lee.”

She hesitated.  The manners she had learned in the Eastern school forbade it, but her Western instinct was truer and stronger.  Her hand went out to him.

“I’m very glad to know you, Mr. Lee.”

“All right, stranger,” said Morgan, who in the meantime had been shifting from one foot to the other and estimating the large chances of failure in this attempt to collect the guns, “if you’re going to help me corral the shootin’ irons, let’s start the roundup.”

The girl went with them.  They had no trouble in getting the weapons.  The cold blue eye of Lee Haines was a quick and effective persuasion.