“Allie—thet woman Stanton locked you in heah?” queried Larry.
“Yes. Then she—”
Larry’s quick gesture enjoined silence. Stealthy steps sounded out in the hall. They revived Allie’s fear of Durade and his men. It struck her suddenly that Larry must be ignorant of the circumstances that had placed her there.
The cowboy unlocked the door—peeped out. As he turned, how clear and cold his blue eyes flashed!
“I’ll get you out of heah,” he whispered. “Come.”
They went out. The passage was empty. Allie clung closely to him. At the corner, where the halls met, he halted to listen. Only the low hum of voices came up.
“Larry, I must tell you,” whispered Allie. “Durade and his gang are after me. Fresno—Mull—Black—Dayss—you know them?”
“I—reckon,” he replied, swallowing hard. “My Gawd! you poor little girl! With that gang after you! An’ Stanton! I see all now.... She says to me, ‘Larry, I’ve a new girl heah’.... Wal, Beauty Stanton, thet was a bad deal for you—damn your soul!”
Trembling, Allie opened her lips to speak, but again the cowboy motioned her to be quiet. He need not have done it, for he suddenly seemed terrible, wild, deadly, rendering her mute.
“Allie if I call to you, duck behind me an’ hold on to me. I’ll take you out of heah.”