“I’ve listened to you too long.  I was so sure I knew more than my father, than my friends.  I’ll listen no more.”

The Texan gave it up.  “All right, ma’am.  Just as you say.  If you’ll order some kind of a rig for me, I’ll not trouble you longer.  I’m sorry that it’s got to be this way.  Maybe some time you’ll see it different.”

“Never,” she flashed passionately, and fled from the room.

He did not see her again before he left.  Bobbie came to get him in a light road trap they had.  The boy looked at him askance, as if he knew something was wrong.  Presently they turned a corner and left the ranch shut from sight in a fold of the hills.

At the first division of the road Fraser came to a difference of opinion with Bobbie.

“Arlie said you was going to leave the valley.  She told me I was to take you to Speed’s place.”

“She misunderstood.  I am going to Alec Howard’s.”

“But that ain’t what she told me.”

Steve took the reins from him, and turned into the trail that led to Howard’s place.  “You can explain to her, Bobbie, that you couldn’t make me see it that way.”

An hour later, he descended upon Howard—­ a big, rawboned ranchman, who had succumbed quickly to a deep friendship for this “Admirable Crichton” of the plains.

“Hello, Steve!  Glad to death to see you.  Hope you’ve come to stay, you old pie eater,” he cried joyously, at sight of the Texan.

Fraser got down.  “Wait here a moment, Bobbie.  I want to have a talk with Alec.  I may go on with you.”

They went into the cabin, and Fraser sat down.  He was still far from strong.

“What’s up, Steve?” the rancher asked.

“You asked me to stay, Alec.  Before I say whether I will or not, I’ve got a story to tell you.  After I’ve told it, you can ask me again if you want me to stop with you.  If you don’t ask me, I’ll ride off with the boy.”

“All right.  Fire ahead, old hoss.  I’ll ask you fast enough.”

The Texan told his story from the beginning.  Only one thing he omitted—­ that Arlie had told him the name of the Squaw Creek raiders.

“There are the facts, Alec.  You’ve got them from beginning to end.  It’s up to you.  Do you want me here?”

“Before I answer that, I’ll have to put a question myse’f, Steve.  Why do you want to stay?  Why not leave the valley while you’re still able to?”

“Because Jed Briscoe put it up to me that I’d got to leave within a week.  I’ll go when I’m good and ready.”

Alec nodded his appreciation of the point.  “Sure.  You don’t want to sneak out, with yore tail betwixt yore laigs.  That brings up another question, Steve.  What about the Squaw Creek sheep raiders?  Just for argument, we’ll put it that some of them are my friends.  You understand—­ just for argument.  Are you still aiming to run them down?”

Fraser met his frank question frankly.  “No, Alec, I’ve had to give up that notion long since—­ soon as I began to guess they were friends of Miss Arlie.  I’m going back to tell Hilliard so.  But I ain’t going to be run out by Briscoe.”