\"Wal，boys，I’lltellthewomen，\"hesaid。\"Shoreyouneedn’tworrynoneabootthem。They’llbegame。\"
Jeanrodeawaytoanopenknollashortdistancefromthehouse，andherehestationedhimselftowatchallpoints。ThecedaredridgebackoftheranchwastheoneapproachbywhichJorth’sgangmightcomeclosewithoutbeingdetected，butevenso，Jeancouldseethemandridetothehouseintimetopreventasurprise。Themomentsdraggedby，andattheendofanhourJeanwasinhopesthatBlaisdellwouldsooncome。Thesehopeswerewellfounded。Presentlyheheardaclatterofhoofsonhardgroundtothesouth，anduponwheelingtolookhesawthefriendlyneighborcomingfastalongtheroad，ridingabigwhitehorse。Blaisdellcarriedarifleinhishand，andthesightofhimgaveJeanaglowofwarmth。HewasoneoftheTexanswhowouldstandbytheIsbelstothelastman。Jeanwatchedhimridetothehouse——watchedthemeetingbetweenhimandhislifelongfriend。
TherefloatedouttoJeanoldBlaisdell’sroarofrage。
ThenoutonthegreenofGrassValley，wherealong，swellingplainsweptawaytowardthevillage，thereappearedamovingdarkpatch。
Abunchofhorses！Jean’sbodygaveaslightstart——theshockofsuddenpropulsionofbloodthroughallhisveins。Thosehorsesboreriders。Theywerecomingstraightdowntheopenvalley，onthewagonroadtoIsbel’sranch。Nosubterfugenorsecrecynorsneakinginthatadvance！AhotthrillranoverJean。