“But it’s only three o’clock in the afternoon,” Lee protested.

“Good-night,” answered Billie inexorably.

She surrendered meekly.  “If you say I must, my lord.  I am awf’lly tired.”  Little globes of gladness welled up in her eyes.  “Everybody’s so good to me, Billie.  I didn’t know folks were so kind.  I can’t think what I can ever do to pay them back.”

“I’ll tell you how.  You be good to yourself, honey,” he told her with a sudden wave of emotion as he caught and held her tight in his arms.  “You quit takin’ chances with blizzards an’ crazy gunmen an’—­”

“—­And horsethieves hidden in the chaparral?” she asked with a flash of demure eyes.

“You’re goin’ to take an awful big chance with one ex-horsethief.  Lee, I’m the luckiest fellow on earth.”

She nestled closer to him.  Her lips trembled to his kiss.

“Billie, you’re sure, aren’t you?” she whispered.  “It wasn’t just pity for me.”

He chose to reassure her after the fashion of a lover, in that wordless language which is as old as Eden.

His heart was full of her as he swung down the street buoyantly.  He had known her saucy, scornful, and imperious.  He had known her gay and gallant, had been the victim of her temper.  Occasionally he had seen glimpses of tenderness toward Pauline and of motherliness toward Jim Clanton.  But never until last night had he found her dependent and clinging.  Her defense against him had been a manner of cool self-reliance.  In the stress of her need that had been swept aside to show her flamy and yet shy, quick with innocent passion.  She wanted him for a mate, just as he wanted her, and she made no concealment of it.  In the candor of her love he exulted.

Lee slept round the clock almost twice and appeared for a late breakfast.  Her aunt told her some news with which Live-Oaks was buzzing.

Go-Get-’Em Jim had ridden into town, stopped at the sheriff’s office, and demanded cynically the thousand dollars offered by the Webb estate for his arrest.

“He’ll come to no good end,” prophesied Miss Snaith, senior.

“You don’t quite understand him, aunt,” protested Lee.  “That’s just his way.  He likes to grand-stand, and he does it rather well.  But he isn’t half so bad as he makes out.  He says he did not shoot Mr. Webb, and we feel sure he didn’t.”

“Of course he says so,” replied the older woman indignantly.  “Why wouldn’t he say so?  But Dad Wrayburn was there and saw it all.  There has been a lot too much promiscuous killing and he’s one of the worst of the lot, your Jim Clanton is.  Jimmie-Go-Get-’Em, indeed!  I hope the law goes and gets him now it has a chance.”