"Wasn't that fine? I suppose he was a friend of your father he had helped some time."
"No. He had never seen him before. But he happened to be a man."
The eyes of the girl were shining. For the moment she was almost beautiful. A flame seemed to run over her dusky face, the glow of her generous heart finding expression externally. It was a part of her charm that her delight in life bubbled out in little spasms of laughter, in impetuous movements wholly unpremeditated.
"I'm glad there are such men," she cried softly.
"The story of that fight is a classic to-day in the hills. When it ended two of the rustlers were dead, two badly wounded, and the others galloping away for their lives. The chief and his unknown friend were lying on the floor shot to pieces."
"But they lived--surely they didn't die?"
"Yes, they lived and became close friends. A few years later they were partners. Both of them are dead now. Sam Lundy--that was the name of my father's rescuer--left two children, a boy and a girl. We call the boy Curly. He was down at the camp fishing with me."
She saw the truth then--knew in a flash that the man beside her had run the risk of prison to save his friend. And her heart went out to him in such a rush of feeling that she had to turn her face away.
"You paid back the debt to the son that your father owed his. Oh, I'm glad--so glad."
"Guessed it, have you?"
"Your friend was the thief."
"He took the money, but he's no thief--not in his heart. In England only a criminal would do such a thing, but it's different here. A hold-up may be a decent fellow gone wrong through drink and bad company. That's how it was this time. My friend is a range rider. His heart is as open and clean as the plains. But he's young yet--just turned twenty--and he's easily led. This thing was sprung on him by an older man with whom he had been drinking. Before they were sober he and Mosby had taken the money."
"I am sorry," the girl said, almost under her breath.
There was still some hint of the child in the naïve nobility of her youth. Joyce Seldon would have had no doubts about what to think of this alien society where an honest man could be a thief and his friend stand ready to excuse him. Moya found it fresh and stimulating.
He explained more fully. "Colter by chance got a line on what the kid and Mosby were planning to pull off. Knowing I had some influence with Curly, he came straight to me. That was just after the finals in the riding."