But it's mounted, anyway."
Steve went down on his knee and began jacking the car up; Terry
standing over him was busy with her wrench loosening the lugs at the
rim. Then, while he made the exchange and tightened the nuts, she
strapped the punctured tire in its carrier and slipped back into her
seat. As Steve got in beside her he marked how speculatively her eyes
were busied with the road.
"We've got them behind us, haven't we?" he asked.
Terry nodded quickly.
"Yes. We've got the head start and they're on horseback. It's no
trick to beat them to it. But-- Oh, I saw a look on Blenham's face
to-night! He's bad, Steve Packard; all bad; the kind that stops at
nothing! And somehow, somehow he's got a strangle-hold on poor old dad
and is making him do this. We've got the head start, we can beat them
to Red Creek, but----"
"But you don't like the idea of leaving your father alone in Blenham's
company to-night?" he finished for her. "Is that it?"
Again she nodded. He could see her teeth set to nibbling at her lips.
"Then," he suggested, "why go to Red Creek at all? Why not turn back
here and stop them? You can take Mr. Temple back home with you. I
imagine that between the two of us we can make Blenham understand he is
not wanted this time."
"I was thinking of that," said Terry.
And where the Ranch Number Ten road runs into the country road, Terry
turned to the right, headed again toward her own home.
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