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 got to say—I’ve got to tell you—”
She stopped, then went on with a great effort: “Jim, before we die—”
“Hush!” he said. “There ain’t goin’ to be no death for you’”
“Before we die,” she pressed on, “remember that I love you with all my heart and soul, Jim!”
“Jerry, you’re talkin’ loco!”
“It isn’t much to be loved by a smalltime actress, and I’ve never once been behind the lights on the real big time. But, oh, Jim! I wish I was keen in the bean like Cissy Loftus, because then—”
Slowly, fumbling, his arms went around her and tightened.
“Jerry!” he whispered.
“Yes?” she answered in the same tone.
“It seems to me—”
“Dear Jim’”
“It won’t be so partic’lar hard—”
“Dear—dear old Jim!”
“To pass out now. But it’s too late to ask for a new deal. This deck’s already shuffled and stacked. Jerry, we’ll play a straight game even with a fixed deck. An’, an’ I love you, honey, more ‘n the roan an’ my six-gun put together!”
He gathered her close with powerful arms, but the kiss which touched her eyes and then her lips, was gentle and reverent.
“Are you sleepin’, Jim?” called a voice.
He turned and went with drawn revolver o the door, still slightly ajar. From behind him, Jerry could see Montgomery and Porky standing in the moonlight.
“I ain’t sleepin’,” replied Black Jim, “but I’m figurin’ why I ain’t shot such hounds as you two, without warnin’!”
As if he had pressed a spring which set automata in motion, they whirled and leaped behind trees.
“Take warning!” called Black Jim, “I could have bagged you both with my eyes shut, an’ the next man of you that I see I’ll let him have it’”
For reply a revolver barked and a bullet thudded into the heavy door. Black Jim slammed it and dropped the heavy latch. A series of wild yells sounded from the trees on all sides and a dozen shots rang in quick succession. After this first venting of their disappointed spleen, the bandits were silent again. Jerry poised her revolver and searched the trees carefully. A hand dropped on her arm and another hand took away the revolver.
“If
