meet you, anyway.”

Even in the semidarkness Bertram could see the girl’s quick blush, as he went on speaking. “I’m going to be honest enough to say that I admire you a whole lot. I’ve been counting on hearing from you later on. Won’t you tell me your name?”

“It would do no good,” said the girl. Then, with an earnestness that startled Bertram, she added: “but, if you want to please me and do the right thing by yourself, you will go no further on this expedition.”

“I can’t do that, because it would be going back on my word,” replied Bertram. “But why should I leave the expedition?”

“If you don’t, there will be the death of honest men on your hands,” said the girl. “Why did you promise to go with a man like Swingley, anyway?”

“Just plain foolishness, I guess, the same as any other soldier of fortune shows.”

“Those men are not soldiers of fortune—they are soldiers of murder,” exclaimed the girl. “If you go on with them you’ll be one with them.”

“Then it means something to you?” asked Bertram triumphantly.

“Yes,” said the girl, with another quick flush. “It means just what it would if I saw any young man on the wrong road.”

“Well, even if you put it that impersonally, still I’m glad,” replied the young Texan. “I’ve got to go on with the outfit, but I promise you one thing—that, if there’s any murder done, my hands won’t be red.”

Just then, from around the corner of the station, came the sound of men’s voices, in a cowboy song.

“They’re coming,” said the girl. “I don’t want them to see me. I’m going to be on the northbound train that goes just ahead of yours.”

“But your name, and where can I see you?” persisted the cowboy, clinging to the soft little hand which he found in his big fist.

“If you’ll let go my hand, I’ll give you a card,” said the girl, with a nervous laugh. Bertram reluctantly released her hand. He felt a card thrust into his fingers, and an instant later the girl had disappeared around the end of the station. He followed her swiftly moving form with his glance, as she passed along the dimly-lighted platform and vanished through the gate leading to the tracks. Then he stepped to a light and read the card eagerly.

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