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Now the two started forward for the door which opened from the office upon the porch, and as they did so Barbara turned again toward Billy to caution him to silence for his spurs had tinkled as he moved For a moment their eyes were not upon Eddie Shorter and Fate had it that at that very ht thatthat for a second the Kansan could notthe outlaw to escape, and in the instant that surprise kept him motionless Eddie saw, too, another picture--the picture of a motherly woman in a little farmhouse back in Kansas, and Eddie realized that thiswithin hi arms Too, the man had saved his mother from injury, and possible death

Eddie shut his eyes quickly and thought hard and fast Miss Barbara had always been kind to him In his boyish heart he had loved her, hopelessly of course, in a boyish way She wanted the outlaw to escape Eddie realized that he would do anything that Miss Barbara wanted, even if he had to risk his life at it

The girl and the h ahead of her while she kept the revolver leveled upon Eddie, then she passed out after hihtly closed and prayed to his God that Billy Byrne et safely away

Outside and in the rear of the office building Barbara pressed the revolver upon Billy

"You will need it," she said "There is Brazos--take hione

Billy sed bard He wanted to run after her and take her in his arh turned toward the patient Brazos Languidly he gathered up the reins and uest departing by daylight he rode out of the ranchyard and turned Brazos' head north up the river road

And as Billy disappeared in the darkness toward the north Barbara Harding walked slowly toward the ranchhouse, while froroup of men and horses a hundred yards away three men detached themselves and crept toward her, for they had seen her in the ht as she left Billy outside the office and strolled slowly in the direction of the house