“Diane, he’ll do something dreadful to George, mark my words,” whispered Sally.  “He swore he would if George fooled around me any more.”

“Oh, dear.  Sally, what can we do?  These are wild men.  George makes life miserable for me.  And he teases you unmer...”

“I don’t call it teasing.  George wants to spoon,” declared Sally emphatically.  “He’d run after any woman.”

“A fine compliment to me, Cousin Sally,” laughed Diane.

“I don’t agree,” replied Sally stubbornly.  “It’s so.  He’s spoony.  And when he’s been drinking and tries to kiss me, I hate him.”

“Sally, you look as if you’d rather like Russ to do something dreadful to George,” said Diane with a laugh that this time was only half mirth.

“Half of me would and half of me would not,” returned Sally.  “But all of me would if I weren’t afraid of Russ.  I’ve got a feeling—­I don’t know what—­something will happen between George and Russ some day.”

There were quick steps on the hall floor, steps I thought I recognized.

“Hello, girls!” sounded out Wright’s voice, minus its usual gaiety.  Then ensued a pause that made me bring to mind a picture of Wright’s glum face.

“George, what’s the matter?” asked Diane presently.  “I never saw papa as he is to-night, nor you so—­so worried.  Tell me, what has happened?”

“Well, Diane, we had a jar to-day,” replied Wright, with a blunt, expressive laugh.

“Jar?” echoed both the girls curiously.

“Jar?  We had to submit to a damnable outrage,” added Wright passionately, as if the sound of his voice augmented his feeling.  “Listen, girls.  I’ll tell you all about it.”

He coughed, clearing his throat in a way that betrayed he had been drinking.

I sunk deeper in the shadow of my covert, and stiffening my muscles for a protracted spell of rigidity, prepared to listen with all acuteness and intensity.

Just one word from this Wright, inadvertently uttered in a moment of passion, might be the word Steele needed for his clue.

“It happened at the town hall,” began Wright rapidly.  “Your father and Judge Owens and I were there in consultation with three ranchers from out of town.  First we were disturbed by gunshots from somewhere, but not close at hand.  Then we heard the loud voices outside.

“A crowd was coming down street.  It stopped before the hall.  Men came running in, yelling.  We thought there was a fire.  Then that Ranger, Steele, stalked in, dragging a fellow by the name of Snell.  We couldn’t tell what was wanted because of the uproar.  Finally your father restored order.

“Steele had arrested Snell for alleged assault on a restaurant keeper named Hoden.  It developed that Hoden didn’t accuse anybody, didn’t know who attacked him.  Snell, being obviously innocent, was discharged.  Then this—­this gun fighting Ranger pulled his guns on the court and halted the proceedings.”