X. A STRAIGHT GAME WITH A FIXED DECK

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      She grew more and more cautious as she approached the farther end of the valley, and for a time she hesitated at the edge of the circle of trees around the cabin, watching and listening. She found nothing suspicious. When she moved a little to one side she saw a shaft of light fall from a window of the house. It was a golden promise to Jerry, and her heart beat strongly again with hope. Once with Black Jim she felt at that moment as if they could fight off the whole world between them.

      She went tiptoeing across the open space like a child that is stealing up to catch a playmate by surprise. At the open door she stood a moment, peeking around the corner and into the interior. The shock of the discovery unnerved her, even more than the plot which she had overheard, scarcely an hour before.

      By the lantern light she saw Black Jim standing with folded arms beside her bunk. He stared down at an array of woman’s clothes which was spread out on the blankets. She saw a long, rose-colored scarf, a dress of blue silk that shimmered faintly in the dim light, light shoes on the floor, a small round hat, and there were other articles at which she could only guess, for they were not all exposed.

      “Jim!” she called softly, and then stepped into the door.

      He whirled with a clutching hand on the butt of his revolver. He was pale but a deep color poured into his face and his eyes wavered to the floor under her shining glance.

      “I thought you were gone,” he said. “I thought—”

      He raised his head and went to her with outstretched hand.

      “Jerry,” he said, as she met his grasp, “I was thinkin’ awhile ago that I didn’t care for anything livin’ except the roan. But I reckon I’d have missed you!”

      The confession came stammeringly forth. Jerry pressed his hand in both of hers.

      “You’re just—you’re just a dear,” she cried, and in a moment she was on her knees, turning over the finery, article by article. Tears brimmed her eyes again.

      “I thought you never noticed me,” she said, turning to him. “I thought I was no more than the blank wall to you, Jim!”

      “Which a man would be blind that didn’t see your clothes was getting some worn, Jerry,” he said, and she saw that his eyes were traveling slowly over her from head to foot, as if to make sure that she had really come back to him. It thrilled her with a happiness different from any she had ever known in her life. She forgot the danger! of the thirteen gangsters and the warning which she had come back to tell Black Jim at such a peril to herself. She leaned over the clothes to conceal the hot color in her face and to fight against a sudden sense of self-consciousness. It was more like stage fright than anything else, yet it was different. It was not the fear of many critical eyes. It was an awful knowledge that her own searching vision was turned back upon her soul and every corner of her heart lay exposed. And still that quivering, foolish, childish happiness sang in her like the murmur of a harp-string.

      She left a slight touch at her side. Black Jim had opened the canvas bag and glanced at the contents. He stepped back, a frown and a smile fighting on his face.

      “You did start on the out-trail, Jerry?” he asked.

      She remembered now with horrible suddenness all that she had come back to tell him. It brought her slowly to her feet, white, tense.

      “I did start,” she answered. “You were gone so long—I thought you were hurt—killed—and that I was left here at the mercy of—”

      She stopped, and then hurried on.

      “I started to go down the valley and on the way I came to the same crowd of men who were in this room the night you brought me here. They were around a fire. I hid beside the rock and listened to their talk. They were threatening you, Jim! They planned to come up here tonight and attack you—because of the gold you have—and me! They were all there. They hadn’t even left a man to guard the gap!”

      “Which left you plumb free to go on out of the valley,” said Jim, half to himself, and entirely disregarding the rest of her speech.

      “We must leave at once!” she cried. “We must try to sneak off down the valley before they arrive to make their attack—”

      “But you come back here to tell me,” he went on, musing, “when you might have got away.”

      She caught him by the arm and shook it savagely.

      “Wake up!” she called. “Listen to me! Don’t you understand what is going to happen?”

      “I didn’t think there was no man would do that,” he said; “leastwise, not up here, above the law. But now a woman has done it—for me!”

      For the wonder of it he shook his head slowly.

      “Jerry, I’ve been consider’ble of a fool!”

      “Yea, Jim!” called a voice from the night.

      “Git down!” whispered Black Jim, and dragged her to the floor. “Keep low when the bullets start comin’, an’ stay down. Hell is just startin’ around here!”

      “Don’t go!” she pleaded, clutching him. “They want you to go out and then they’ll shoot at you from the shelter of the trees.”

      His faint chuckle answered her.

      “After all, Jerry, I’m not a plumb fool!”

      He ran softly to the open door and swung it to.

      “Who’s there?” he called.

      He whispered to Jerry: “I can see four of them among the trees, an’ Silent Mac an’ Porky are standin’ by the dead line waiting for me to come out. Watch them from the other side of the cabin. They might try to rush from that side.”

      “Come out!” answered the voice of Montgomery from without. “We got to see you, Jim, or let us come across your deadline.”

      Jerry ran to the narrow window on the farther side of the room and peered cautiously out. The new-risen moon shed so faint a light that she could see nothing at first.

      “What d’you want with me?” she heard Black Jim say.

      Now as she strained her eyes she made out one, two, three dim figures moving behind the trees. The cabin was surrounded on all sides.

      “We need you, Jim,” answered Porky’s voice. “They’s a passel of men camped in the gap. When day comes they’ll start cleanin’ out our valley.”

      Black Jim chuckled.

      “Jest a minute, boys,” he called. “Wait there, an’ I’ll be with you,”

      He crossed hurriedly to Jerry.

      “They are out on this side, too, Jim,” she breathed. “They have us surrounded! It’s death to us both, Jim! There’s no escape!”

      “Remember this!” he whispered, and his hand closed on her shoulder, “Whatever happens, keep close to the floor. They got us trapped. Maybe there ain’t any hope. Anyway, it’ll be a fight they’ll remember—”

      “I will! I will!” she answered, and her voice trembled, for he seemed to have caught at her whole soul with his hand, “but before it begins—I’ve