“That’s just what I told him, dad.”

“Hold yore hawsses, will yo’, honey?  But, notwithstanding which, and not backing water on that proposition none, we come to another p’int.”

“Which Jed made to you carefully on the way down,” his daughter interrupted scornfully.

“It don’t matter who made it.  The p’int is that there are reasons why strangers ain’t exactly welcome in this valley right now, Mr. Fraser.  This country is full o’ suspicion.  Whilst it’s onjust, charges are being made against us on the outside.  Right now the settlers here have got to guard against furriners.  Now I know yo’re all right, Mr. Fraser.  But my neighbors don’t know it.”

“It was our lives he saved, not our neighbors’,” scoffed Arlie.

“K’rect.  So I say, Mr. Fraser, if yo’ are out o’ funds, I’ll finance you.  Wherever you want to go I’ll see you git there, but I hain’t got the right to invite you to stay in Lost Valley.”

“Better send him to Gimlet Butte, dad!  He killed a man in helping us to escape, and he ’s wanted bad!  He broke jail to get here!  Pay his expenses back to the Butte!  Then if there’s a reward, you and Jed can divide it!” his daughter jeered.

“What’s that?  Killed a man, yo’ say?”

“Yes.  To save us.  Shall we send him back under a rifle guard?  Or shall we have Sheriff Brandt come and get him?”

“Gracious goodness, gyurl, shet up whilst I think.  Killed a man, eh?  This valley has always been open to fugitives.  Ain’t that right, Jed?”

“To fugitives, yes,” said Jed significantly.  “But that fact ain’t proved.”

“Jed’s getting right important.  We’ll soon be asking him whether we can stay here,” said Arlie, with a scornful laugh.  “And I say it is proved.  We met the deputies the yon side of the big cañon.”

Briscoe looked at her out of dogged, half-shuttered eyes.  He said nothing, but he looked the picture of malice.

Dillon rasped his stubbly chin and looked at the Texan.  Far from an alert-minded man, he came to conclusions slowly.  Now he arrived at one.

“Dad burn it, we’ll take the ‘fugitive’ for granted.  Yo’ kin lie up here long as yo’ like, friend.  I’ll guarantee yo’ to my neighbors.  I reckon if they don’t like it they kin lump it.  I ain’t a-going to give up the man that saved my gyurl’s life.”

The door opened and let in Miss Ruth Dillon.  The little old lady had the newspaper in her hand, and her beady eyes were shining with excitement.

“It’s all in here, Mr. Fraser—­ about your capture and escape.  But you didn’t tell us all of it.  Perhaps you didn’t know, though, that they had plans to storm the jail and hang you?”

“Yes, I knew that,” the Texan answered coolly.  “The jailer told me what was coming to me.  I decided not to wait and see whether he was lying.  I wrenched a bar from the window, lowered myself by my bedding, flew the coop, and borrowed a horse.  That’s the whole story, ma’am, except that Miss Arlie brought me here to hide me.”