‘Hello, Barbee,’ called Alan.  And when Barbee greeted him without enthusiasm, he asked:  ‘What’s happened to the town?’

‘Hit the slide,’ said Barbee carelessly.  ’Bottom fell through, I guess, and at the same time somebody started a scare about gold being found down toward Big Run.  The fools,’ he scoffed, ’piled out like crazy sheep.  You can find the way they went by a trail of old tin cups and socks and such stuff dropped on the run.’

‘Roberts, the teamster, has gone, I suppose?’

’He’ll be back.  Pet’s old man is still packing his stuff and Roberts is going to haul it this afternoon.  I’m sticking along, helping pack,’ he grinned.  Pet eyed him in high mock scorn.

‘A lot of help you are,’ she told him.  Barbee laughed.

Howard and Helen were reining their horses about to leave when Barbee came out into the road and put a detaining hand upon Howard’s horse’s mane.

‘Saw Jim Courtot last night, Al,’ he said quietly.

‘Here?’ asked Howard quickly.  So long had Courtot seemed the embodiment of all that was elusive that it came with something of a shock of surprise that any man had seen him.

‘Yes,’ Barbee nodded.  ’He’s trailing his luck with that Murray woman again.  They’re a bad outfit, Al; better keep your eye peeled.’

Howard did not smile at Barbee’s reference to Sanchia.  He hardly remarked it.

‘Tell me about Courtot,’ he commanded.

‘Something’s come over him,’ said Barbee vaguely.  ’He’s different somehow, Al; and I can’t just get him.  If he ain’t half crazy he ain’t much more than half right.  He’s got a funny look in his eyes; he’s as nervous as a cat; he jumps sideways if you move quick.  Last night I thought he was going to break and run for cover at a little sound no man would pay any attention to,’

‘What kind of a sound?’

’Just a fool dog barking!  Well, so long, Al.  I got to help Pet do her packing.’  And winking his merry eye, Barbee turned back toward the lunch counter.

Howard and Helen rode again toward the hills.  Across the girl’s face a shadow had fallen.  Howard wondered if it were there because the odd sadness of a forsaken town had tinged her spirit with its own weird melancholy; or if she had been disturbed by word of Jim Courtot.  Barbee had spoken quietly, but Helen might have heard.  They rode in silence until Sanchia’s Town was lost behind a ridge.  Then Helen asked steadily: 

‘Is there no way out for you and Jim Courtot but the way of violence?’

He sought to evade, saying lightly that it began to look as though he and Courtot could no more meet than could spring and autumn.  But when she asked directly, ‘What would happen if you did meet?’ he answered bluntly.  His mood was not quarrelsome this morning; he wanted no needless fight with any man.  But if Jim Courtot stepped out into his trail and began shooting . . .  Well, he left