Long Jim scratched his chin for a moment.

“Waal,” he said, “I guess that what the lady says goes.  We ain’t often favoured with ladies’ society, boys, and I guess when we are we’d better do as we are told.  Turn ’em loose, boys.”

They abandoned the sport a little reluctantly.  Suddenly they all paused to listen.  The sound of a horse’s slow footfall was heard close at hand.  Presently Quest appeared out of the shadows, carrying Lenora in his arms.  Laura rushed forward.

“Lenora!” she cried.  “Is she hurt?”

Quest laid her tenderly upon the ground.

“We had a spill at the bridge,” he explained quickly.  “I don’t know whether Craig loosened the supports.  He got over all right, but it went down under Lenora, who was following, and I had to get her out of the river.  Where’s the Professor?”

The Professor came ambling down from the tent where he had been lying.  He stooped at once over Lenora’s still unconscious form.

“Dear me!” he exclaimed.  “Dear me!  Come, come!”

He passed his hand over her side and made a brief examination.

“Four ribs broken,” he pronounced.  “It will be a week, at any rate, before we are able to move her.  Nothing more serious, so far as I can see, Mr. Quest, but she’ll need rest and all the comfort we can give her.”

“Say, that’s too bad!” Long Jim declared.  “If you’ve got to stay around for a time, though, you can have the tents.  We boys can double up anywhere, or bunk on the ground.  That’s right, ain’t it?” he added, turning around to the cowboys.

There was a little grunt of acquiescence.  They carried Lenora to the largest of the tents and made her as comfortable as possible.  She opened her eyes on the way.

“I am so sorry,” she faltered.  “It’s just my side.  It—­hurts.  How did I get out of the stream?”

“I fished you out,” Quest whispered.  “Don’t talk now.  We are going to make you comfortable.”

She pressed his hand and closed her eyes again.  The Professor returned.

“We’ll make the young lady comfortable all right,” he assured them cheerfully, “but there’s one thing you can make up your minds to.  We are here for a week at the least.”

They all looked at one another.  The Inspector was the only one who preserved an air of cheerfulness, and he was glancing towards Laura.

“Guess we’ll have to make the best of it,” he murmured.

2.

The girl drew a low stool over to Craig’s side.  He was sitting in a rough chair tilted back against the adobe wall of the saloon.

“As tired as ever?” she asked, laying her hand upon his for a moment.

He turned his head and looked at her.

“Always tired,” he answered listlessly.

She made a little grimace.

“But you are so strange,” she protested.  “Over the hills there are the steam cars.  They would take you to some of our beautiful cities where all is light and gaiety.  You are safe here, whatever your troubles may have been.  You say that you have money, and if you are lonely,” she added, dropping her voice, “you need not go alone.”