women whose beauty and charm had brought them much before the
world, Miss Hammond's intuition had been developed until she had
a delicate and exquisitely sensitive perception of the nature of
men and of her effect upon them. This crude cowboy, under the
influence of drink, had affronted her; nevertheless, whatever was
in his mind, he meant no insult.

"I shall be greatly obliged if you will show me to the hotel,"
she said.

"Lady, you wait here," he replied, slowly, as if his thought did
not come swiftly. "I'll go fetch the porter."

She thanked him, and as he went out, closing the door, she sat
down in considerable relief. It occurred to her that she should
have mentioned her brother's name. Then she fell to wondering
what living with such uncouth cowboys had done to Alfred. He had
been wild enough in college, and she doubted that any cowboy
could have taught him much. She alone of her family had ever
believed in any latent good in Alfred Hammond, and her faith had
scarcely survived the two years of silence.

Waiting there, she again found herself listening to the moan of
the wind through the wires. The horse outside began to pound
with heavy hoofs, and once he whinnied. Then Madeline heard a
rapid pattering, low at first and growing louder, which presently
she recognized as the galloping of horses. She went to the
window, thinking, hoping her brother had arrived. But as the
clatter increased to a roar, shadows sped by--lean horses,
flying manes and tails, sombreroed riders, all strange and wild