avoids him?"
"She hopes he'll run after her."
Paul shook his head. "Sounds mixed up to me."
"Take my word for it. I know. I'm a woman."
Mentally Paul agreed with that. Addie was a woman clear through, a handsome, uncomplicated woman. It was her forthrightness that attracted him.
"Okay. Even if Norah wanted me to court her, I wouldn't have the right," he said.
"You mean there's a girl—another girl?"
"No, I'm free that way, but there's a cloud on my past, a cloud that only Finch can clear up. I may not get him to do it, but I'm going to try. When the warrant comes, if the marshal will deputize me, I aim to take Finch back in handcuffs if necessary. Why should Norah be dragged through all that trouble?"
"If she loves you, it won't be trouble to her," Addie said, her eyes on the ground.
"Why should you tell me all this, Addie?"
"I'm not sure, Paul. Maybe I'm just punishing myself. I know how Norah feels, because I like you a lot myself," Addie said lamely. "If I thought there was any chance—"
"Addie, all I can tell you is what I said before. Right now I'm not a man for any woman to get mixed up with. You didn't come here to tell me all this. Why did you come?"
"I really came to warn you, Paul."
"Warn me?"
"There's a plot on foot to get you out of the way, either dead or alive. I've heard talk around the Lone Chance. I've pieced things together."
"And what did you get?"
"There's a lot of liquor being bought that isn't drunk in the Lone Chance, Paul. There are other shipments coming into the railroad camp. There's been liquor turning up in the Indian village, and that's illegal. Liquor and Indians don't mix."
"That's a job for the army." Paul shrugged. "I can't do anything about it."
"I know it's a job for the army, and Hornaby will try to stop it. It won't be easy. I've heard that he can't even keep liquor off the post. Just this morning a sentry was asleep on duty. He was drunk. Hornaby threatened to make an example of him."
"Of course he's got to discipline the man, but he can't be too tough on him."
"He might let the man off easier if the smuggler were caught. He could make an example of the smuggler instead," Addie said.
"There isn't a war on."
"Hornaby's given orders that anybody seen trying to enter the camp without permission is to be shot on sight."
Paul whistled softy. Honraby had impressed him as being vain, but he did not think he was a fool.
"Why are you telling me all this, Addie?"
"Because I'm afraid they've picked you as the smuggler."
"Me? That's crazy."
"Maybe it is, and maybe it isn't," Addie said. "I came to tell you not to be seen around the camp after dark."
"Look, Addie, don't fret yourself. I'm not likely to go to the post after dark. I know no one there but Sergeant McCune."
"Even if you're called for any reason, refuse to go," Addie warned him. "Those troopers, Miles and Stebbins, are still unhappy."
"They'll not lure me to the post."
Addie looked up, and their eyes met. Even in the dusk, her eyes were bright and probing. Paul returned her look, and because of her intensity, he put an arm about her and drew her close, feeling her tremble. Before he released her, she reached up, drew down his head and kissed him on the mouth. Then she hurried away like a woman who had let a man look into her heart.
Paul heard Addie ride away. She had left him with a feeling of sadness, for she had revealed herself as woman unfulfilled and searching. Paul shook his head slowly, knowing he could not help her.
Absorbed in his thoughts, he failed to hear the light footsteps until Norah stood before him. He looked at her in surprise, as though she had materialized out of thin air. He restrained an impulse to put his arms about her. The way she stood there some distance from him, he knew that something was wrong.
Because the silence was awkward, he hazarded, "Where have you been, Norah?"
"Riding," she said shortly.
There was a challenge in the angle of her chin, and he wanted to reach out
"She hopes he'll run after her."
Paul shook his head. "Sounds mixed up to me."
"Take my word for it. I know. I'm a woman."
Mentally Paul agreed with that. Addie was a woman clear through, a handsome, uncomplicated woman. It was her forthrightness that attracted him.
"Okay. Even if Norah wanted me to court her, I wouldn't have the right," he said.
"You mean there's a girl—another girl?"
"No, I'm free that way, but there's a cloud on my past, a cloud that only Finch can clear up. I may not get him to do it, but I'm going to try. When the warrant comes, if the marshal will deputize me, I aim to take Finch back in handcuffs if necessary. Why should Norah be dragged through all that trouble?"
"If she loves you, it won't be trouble to her," Addie said, her eyes on the ground.
"Why should you tell me all this, Addie?"
"I'm not sure, Paul. Maybe I'm just punishing myself. I know how Norah feels, because I like you a lot myself," Addie said lamely. "If I thought there was any chance—"
"Addie, all I can tell you is what I said before. Right now I'm not a man for any woman to get mixed up with. You didn't come here to tell me all this. Why did you come?"
"I really came to warn you, Paul."
"Warn me?"
"There's a plot on foot to get you out of the way, either dead or alive. I've heard talk around the Lone Chance. I've pieced things together."
"And what did you get?"
"There's a lot of liquor being bought that isn't drunk in the Lone Chance, Paul. There are other shipments coming into the railroad camp. There's been liquor turning up in the Indian village, and that's illegal. Liquor and Indians don't mix."
"That's a job for the army." Paul shrugged. "I can't do anything about it."
"I know it's a job for the army, and Hornaby will try to stop it. It won't be easy. I've heard that he can't even keep liquor off the post. Just this morning a sentry was asleep on duty. He was drunk. Hornaby threatened to make an example of him."
"Of course he's got to discipline the man, but he can't be too tough on him."
"He might let the man off easier if the smuggler were caught. He could make an example of the smuggler instead," Addie said.
"There isn't a war on."
"Hornaby's given orders that anybody seen trying to enter the camp without permission is to be shot on sight."
Paul whistled softy. Honraby had impressed him as being vain, but he did not think he was a fool.
"Why are you telling me all this, Addie?"
"Because I'm afraid they've picked you as the smuggler."
"Me? That's crazy."
"Maybe it is, and maybe it isn't," Addie said. "I came to tell you not to be seen around the camp after dark."
"Look, Addie, don't fret yourself. I'm not likely to go to the post after dark. I know no one there but Sergeant McCune."
"Even if you're called for any reason, refuse to go," Addie warned him. "Those troopers, Miles and Stebbins, are still unhappy."
"They'll not lure me to the post."
Addie looked up, and their eyes met. Even in the dusk, her eyes were bright and probing. Paul returned her look, and because of her intensity, he put an arm about her and drew her close, feeling her tremble. Before he released her, she reached up, drew down his head and kissed him on the mouth. Then she hurried away like a woman who had let a man look into her heart.
Paul heard Addie ride away. She had left him with a feeling of sadness, for she had revealed herself as woman unfulfilled and searching. Paul shook his head slowly, knowing he could not help her.
Absorbed in his thoughts, he failed to hear the light footsteps until Norah stood before him. He looked at her in surprise, as though she had materialized out of thin air. He restrained an impulse to put his arms about her. The way she stood there some distance from him, he knew that something was wrong.
Because the silence was awkward, he hazarded, "Where have you been, Norah?"
"Riding," she said shortly.
There was a challenge in the angle of her chin, and he wanted to reach out
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