“Anything you got,” said the stranger, who was broad of hands and thick of neck and he cast an anxious eye on her.  “I hear you seen something of a thinnish, dark feller named Bard.”

“What d’you want with him?” asked Sally with dangerous calm.

“I was aimin’ to meet up with him.  That’s all.”

“Partner, if you want to stand in solid around here, don’t let out that you’re a friend of his.  He ain’t none too popular; that’s straight and puttin’ it nice and easy.”

“Which who said I was his friend?” said the other with heat.

She turned away to the kitchen and reappeared shortly, bearing his meal.  The frown with which she departed had disappeared, and she was smiling as brightly as ever while she arranged the dishes in front of him.  He paid no attention to the food.

“Now,” she said, resting both hands on the table and leaning so that she could look him directly in the eye:  “What’s Bard done now?  Horse—­gun-fighter—­woman; which?”

The other loosened the bandanna which circled his bull neck.

“Woman,” he said hoarsely, and the blood swelled his throat and face with veins of purple.

“Ah-h-h,” drawled the girl, and straightening, she dropped both hands on her hips.  It was a struggle, but she managed to summon another smile.

“Wife—­sister—­sweetheart?”

The man stared dubiously on her, and Sally, mother to five hundred wild rangers, knew the symptoms of a man eager for a confidant.  She slipped into the opposite chair.

“It might be any of the three,” she went on gently, “and I know because I’ve seen him work.”

“Damn his soul!” growled the other by way of a prefix to his story.  “It ain’t any of the three with me.  This Bard—­maybe he tried his hand with you?”

Whether it was rage or scorn that made her start and redden he could not tell.

“Me?” she repeated.  “A tenderfoot get fresh with me?  Stranger, you ain’t been long in Eldara or you wouldn’t pull a bonehead like that.”

“‘Scuse me.  I was hopin’ that maybe you took a fall out of him, that’s all.”

He studied the blue eyes.  They had been tinted with ugly green a moment before, but now they were clear, deep, dark, guileless blue.  He could not resist.  The very nearness of the woman was like a gentle, cool hand caressing his forehead and rubbing away the troubles.

“It was like this,” he began.  “Me and Lizzie had been thick for a couple of years and was jest waitin’ till I’d corralled enough cash for a start.  Then the other day along comes this feller Bard with a queer way of talkin’ school language.  Made you feel like you was readin’ a bit out of a dictionary jest to listen to him for a minute.  Liz, she never heard nothin’ like it, I figure.  She got all eyes and sat still and listened.  Bein’ like that he plumb made a fool out of Liz.  Kidded her along and wound up by kissing her good-bye.  I didn’t see none of this; I jest heard about it later.  When I come up and started talkin’ jest friendly with Liz she got sore and passed me the frosty stare.  I didn’t think she could be doin’ more than kiddin’ me a bit, so I kept right on and it ended up with Liz sayin’ that all was over between us.”