out of sight. It was a drowsy day, and I nearly fell asleep.

Something aroused me--a patter of footsteps or a rustle of skirts. Then
a soft thud behind me gave me at once a start and a thrill. First I saw
Sally's little brown hands on my shoulders. Then her head, with hair all
shiny and flying and fragrant, came round over my shoulder, softly
smoothing my cheek, until her sweet, saucy, heated face was right under
my eyes.

"Russ, don't you love me any more?" she whispered.




Chapter 4

STEELE BREAKS UP THE PARTY


That night, I saw Steele at our meeting place, and we compared notes and
pondered details of our problem.

Steele had rented the stone house to be used as a jail. While the
blacksmith was putting up a door and window calculated to withstand many
onslaughts, all the idlers and strangers in town went to see the sight.
Manifestly it was an occasion for Linrock. When Steele let it be known
that he wanted to hire a jailer and a guard this caustically humorous
element offered itself _en masse_. The men made a joke out of it.

When Steele and I were about to separate I remembered a party that was