"If you're goin' to talk that way I ain't goin' to love you like I thought I was," he grinned. "An' I'm sure wantin' to."
"I don't want to give up," she said.
"Meanin'?"
"Meaning that I'd like to have you beat those men. Oh, the miserable schemers! They will go to any length to defeat you."
He laughed lowly and vibrantly. "Well, they'll certainly have to travel some," he said. "About as fast as the man will have to travel that takes you away from me."
"Is victory that dear to you?" she asked.
"I won't take one without the other," he told her his eyes glowing. "If I don't beat Silverthorn and the others, an' keep the Double A for you, why I——"
"You'll win!" she said.
"You are hopin' I will?" he grinned. "Well," he added, as she averted her eyes, "there'll come a time when we'll talk real serious about that. I'm goin' to tell the range boss to get ready for a drive to Las Vegas."
"That is a hundred and seventy-five miles!" gasped the girl.