that did not belong in the story he was going to write. "You're
new to the country, you see. Maybe you've got nerve; you
haven't shown much, so far as I know--except when you talked to
the boys that night. But you must have known that they wouldn't
hurt you anyway. A man must have a little courage as much as I
have; which isn't asking much--or I'd never marry him in the
world."

"Not even if you--liked him?" his smile was wistful.

"Not even if I loved him!" Mona declared, and fled into the
house.

Thurston gathered himself together and went down to the stable
and borrowed a horse of Jack, who had just got back from town,
and rode home to the Lazy Eight

When Hank heard that he was home to stay--at least until he
could join the roundup again--he didn't say a word for full five
minutes. Then, "Got your story done?" he drawled, and his eyes
twinkled.

Thurston was going up the stairs to his old room, and Hank could
not swear positively to the reply he got. But he thought it
sounded like, "Oh, damn the story!"



CHAPTER IX