“No man could have helped him.”

“You don’t hold it against me?”

A gust of wind moaned around them.  She waved her arm towards the surrounding hills and her laugh blended with the sound of the wind, it was so faint.  He watched her with a curious pang.  She seemed among women what that morning was to the coming day—­fresh, cool, aloof.  It was hard to speak the words which would banish the sorrow from her eyes and make them brilliant with hope and shut him away from her thoughts with a barrier higher than mountains, and broader than seas.

“I have brought you news,” he said at last, reluctantly.

She did not change.

“About Dan Barry.”

Ay, she changed swiftly enough at that!  He could not meet the fear and question of her glance.  He looked away and saw the red rim of the sun pushing up above the hills.  And colour poured up the throat of Kate Cumberland, up even to her forehead beneath the blowing golden hair.

Haines jerked his sombrero lower on his head.  A curse tumbled up to his lips and he had to set his teeth to keep it back.

“But I have heard his whistle.”

Her lips moved but made no sound.

“Five other men heard him.”

She cried out as if he had hurt her, but the hurt was happiness.  He knew it and winced, for she was wonderfully beautiful.

“In the willows of the river bottom, a good twenty miles south,” he said at last, “and I will show you the way, if you wish.”

He watched her eyes grow large with doubt.

“Can you trust me?” he asked.  “I failed you once.  Can you trust me now?”

Her hand went out to him.

“With all my heart,” she said.  “Let us start!”

“I’ve given my horse a hard ride.  He must have some rest.”

She moaned softly in her impatience, and then:  “We’ll go back to the house and you can stable your horse there until you’re ready to start.  Dad will go with us.”

“Your father cannot go,” he said shortly.

“Cannot?”

“Let’s start back for the ranch,” he said, “and I’ll tell you something about it as we go.”

As they turned their horses he went on:  “In order that you may reach Whistling Dan, you’ll have to meet first a number of men who are camping down there in the willows.”

He stopped.  It became desperately difficult for him to go on.

“I am one of those men,” he said, “and another of them is the one whom Whistling Dan is following.”

She caught her breath and turned abruptly on him.

“What are you, Mr. Lee?”

Very slowly he forced his eyes up to meet her gaze.

“In that camp,” he answered indirectly, “your father wouldn’t be safe!”

It was out at last!

“Then you are—­”

“Your friend.”

“Forgive me.  You are my friend!”

“The man whom Dan is following,” he went on, “is the leader.  If he gives the command four practised fighters pit themselves against Barry.”