The uneasy wait continued for a moment or more. The whisper of JoePollard to his daughter barely reached the ear of Terry.

"Cut in between 'em, girl. You can handle 'em. I can't!"

She responded instantly, before Terry recovered from his shock ofsurprise.

"Slim, keep away from your gun!"

She spoke as she whirled from her chair to her feet. It really was strange tosee her direct all her attention to Slim, when Phil Marvin seemed the oneabout to draw.

"I ain't even nearin' my gun," asserted Slim truthfully. "It's Philthat's got a strangle hold on his."

"You're waiting for him to draw," exclaimed the girl calmly enough. "I knowyou, Slim. Phil, don't be a fool. Drop your hand away from that gat!"

He hesitated; she stepped directly between him and his enemy of themoment and jerked the gun from its holster. Then she faced Slim.0bviously Phil was not displeased to have the matter taken out of hisarms; obviously Slim was not so pleased. He looked freezingly up to thegirl.

"This is between him and me," he protested. "I don't need none of yourhelp, Kate."

"Don't you? You're going to get it, though. Gimme that gun, Slim Dugan!"

"I want a square deal," he complained. "I figure Phil has been crookingthe dice on me."