“That don’t make no difference.  Those wus my orders—­not to talk, nor let enybody hang ’round except you folks.”

“Then we were expected?” in surprise.

“Sure; I reckon yer ‘d a been hoofin’ it up the road long afore this otherwise.  Still, I dunno,” with a suggestive wink, “I ’ve got a likin’ fer pretty girls.”

I glanced at her, where she had sank down on a dilapidated sofa, but no expression of her face told me she had overheard.  It was the man’s wink, more than his language, which angered me.

“Cut out your references to the lady,” I said in a low tone, “unless you are starting in for trouble.”

“Oh, skittish, hey!  Wal, stranger, I never run away frum no troble yet, an’ I reckon I don’t begin now.  Besides, yer need n’t ride no high hoss with me.  I ’m on ter your game.”

His words sufficed to silence my batteries.  I felt no fear of the man, big as he was and armed, but the thought that he might have been sent there by either Neale or Vail, and informed of the conspiracy, made me cautious about angering him.  I must discover first the exact situation before locking horns with this Texas steer.

“Oh, do you!” I returned carelessly.  “All right, then, we ’ll let it go at that; only please remember the lady is under my protection.  What is your name?”

“Coombs,” in better humor, feeling he had bluffed me.  “Bill Coombs.”

“Can we have a bit of lunch?”

“I reckon yer can.  Ol’ Sally is a rustlin’ some grub now.  I stirred her up when I furst cum in.”

He sat down cross-legged on a chair the other side the littered table, and stared at us, his hat still drawn down over his eyes.  Whether the fellow knew no better or was deliberately insolent, I could not clearly determine.  However, it was easy to perceive the girl was alarmed, and my thought was with her.  This unmannerly brute could wait until we were alone for his lesson.  I had handled worse men than him in my time, and I proposed finding out before we retired who was master.  So when he even rolled and lit a cigarette, eyeing me closely during the operation, I pretended to take no notice, but spoke to her quietly, in a voice which would not carry across the room.

“Don’t mind him,” I whispered.  “He’s only a rough-neck trying to bully a bit.  I’ll teach him his place before tomorrow.”

“It is not the man so much,” she replied, giving me a glimpse of her eyes.  “But it is all so desolate and gloomy.  I have never been superstitious, but that negro’s fear actually gave me the creeps.  I have been seeing shadows ever since.”

I laughed lightly, touching her hand.

“Still we ’ve found nothing else than live ones.  Shadows won’t hurt us, and this place will look better by daylight.”

“You have n’t any nerves.”

“Oh, yes, I have; only they are trained.  I didn’t anticipate an easy job when I came down here.  It’s assumed a different form, that’s all.”