“That’s why,” said Starr solemnly, looking down into her face, “I’m kinda worried about you ranging around afoot and without a gun—­”

“But nobody else has even mentioned—­”

“Everybody else goes prepared, and they’re inclined to take chances as a matter of course.  I reckon they think you know all about rabies being in the country.  This has always been a scrappy kinda place, remember, and folks are used to packing guns and using ’em when the case demands it.  You wear this six-gun, lady, and keep your eyes open from now on.  I’ve got another one for Vic; an automatic.  Now we’ll go down here in the shade and practice shooting.  I brought plenty of shells, and I want to learn you how to handle a gun.”

Silently she followed him down the slope on the side toward the Basin.  He stopped beside the pinto, took it by the bridle-reins and, whipping out his gun, fired it once to test the horse.  The pinto twitched its ears at the sound and looked at Starr.  Starr laughed.

“I’ll learn you to shoot from horseback,” he called back to Helen May.  “He’s broke to it, I can see now.”

“Oh, I wonder if I could!  Don’t tell Vic, will you?  I’d like to take him by surprise.  Boys are so conceited and self-sufficient!  You’d think Vic was my grandfather, the way he lords it over me.  First of all, what is the right way to get on a horse?  I wish you’d teach me about riding, too.”

This sort of instruction grew absorbing to both.  Before either guessed how the time had flown, the sun stood straight overhead; and Pat, standing in front of her with an expectant look in his eyes and an occasional wag of his stubby tail, reminded Helen May that it was time for lunch.  They had used almost a full box of shells, and Helen May had succeeded in shooting from the back of the pinto and in hitting a certain small hummock of pure sand twice in six shots.  She was tremendously proud of the feat, and she took no pains to conceal her pride.  She wanted to start in on another box of shells, but Pat’s eyes were so reproachful, and her sense of hospitality was so urgent that she decided to wait until they had eaten the lunch she had brought with her.

The rocks which had cast a shadow were now baking in the glare, and the sand where Helen May and Starr had sat was radiating heat waves.  Starr took another long look down toward Medina’s ranch through his field glasses, while Helen May went to find a comfortable bit of shade.

“If you’ll come over this way, Mr. Starr,” she called abruptly, “I’ll give you a sandwich.  It’s hot everywhere to-day, but this is a little better than out in the sun.”

Starr took the glasses down from his eyes and let them dangle by their cord while he walked over the nose of the ridge to where she was waiting for him.

Half-way there, a streak of fire seemed to sear his arm near his shoulder.  Starr knew the feeling well enough.  He staggered and went down headlong in a clump of greasewood, and at the same instant the report of a rifle came clearly from the high pinnacle at the head of Sunlight Basin.