in

Sometimes he woke up in the middle of the night thinking of Ann, and then could not get back to sleep.

The easiest thing would be to sell out to Al Budd and leave the country, but there was a stubborn streak in him that wouldn't allow it.

Because the summer was unusually dry and hot, the spring produced a smaller stream than in ordinary years.

The grass in the meadows came fast, now that the warm weather was here.

He could not afford to lose a drop of the precious water, so he spent most of his waking hours along the ditches in his meadows.

In any case, he had no intention of being caught asleep, so he carried his revolver in its holster on his hip and he took his Winchester with him and leaned it against the fence.

When, in late afternoon on the last day in June, he saw two people top the ridge to the south and walk toward the house, he quit work immediately and strode to his rifle.

No one walked in this country, least of all Ed Dow or Dutch Renfro or any of the rest of the Bar B crew.

Reaching the house ahead of them, he waited with his Winchester in his hands.

There's water in the house ''.

Her blond hair was frowzy, her dress torn in several places, and her shoes were so completely worn out that they were practically no protection.

She was amazingly light, and so relaxed in his arms that he wasn't even sure she was conscious.

Morgan returned to the kitchen, built a fire, and carried in several buckets of water from the spring which he poured into the copper boiler that he had placed on the stove.

He brought his Winchester in from the front of the house, then faced the boy.

`` Are we in Wyoming ''??

He was silent a moment, thinking he could use a man this time of year, and if the girl could cook, it would give him more time in the meadows, but he knew nothing about the couple.

They might kill him in his sleep, thinking there was money in the house.

I guess you'd better go on in the morning ''.

`` I've been mucking in a mine in the San Juan, but I used to work on a ranch.

Sharon, she's cooked in a restaurant.

Your wife's in terrible shape ''.

You fell down in front of the house, and I carried you in.