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voice Jane knew the rider to be Venters. He tied Wrangle to the hitching-rack and turned to the court.

ā€œOh, Bern!... You wild man!ā€ she exclaimed.

ā€œJaneā€”Jane, itā€™s good to see you! Hello, Lassiter! Yes, itā€™s Venters.ā€

Like rough iron his hard hand crushed Janeā€™s. In it she felt the difference she saw in him. Wild, rugged, unshornā€”yet how splendid! He had gone away a boyā€”he had returned a man. He appeared taller, wider of shoulder, deeper-chested, more powerfully built. But was that only her fancyā€”he had always been a young giantā€”was the change one of spirit? He might have been absent for years, proven by fire and steel, grown like Lassiter, strong and cool and sure. His eyesā€”were they keener, more flashing than before?ā€”met hers with clear, frank, warm regard, in which perplexity was not, nor discontent, nor pain.

ā€œLook at me long as you like,ā€ he said, with a laugh. ā€œIā€™m not much to look at. And, Jane, neither you nor Lassiter, can brag. Youā€™re paler than I ever saw you. Lassiter, here, he wears a bloody bandage under his hat. That reminds me. Some one took a flying shot at me down in the sage. It made Wrangle run some.... Well, perhaps youā€™ve more to tell me than Iā€™ve got to tell you.ā€

Briefly, in few words, Jane outlined the circumstances of her undoing in the weeks of his absence.

Under his beard and bronze she saw his face whiten in terrible wrath.

ā€œLassiterā€”what held you back?ā€

No time in the long period of fiery moments and sudden shocks had Jane Withersteen ever beheld Lassiter as calm and serene and cool as then.

ā€œJane had gloom enough without my addinā€™ to it by shootinā€™ up the village,ā€ he said.

As strange as Lassiterā€™s coolness was Ventersā€™s curious, intent scrutiny of them both, and under it Jane felt a flaming tide wave from bosom to temples.

ā€œWellā€”youā€™re right,ā€ he said, with slow pause. ā€œIt surprises me a little, thatā€™s all.ā€

Jane sensed then a slight alteration in Venters, and what it was, in her own confusion, she could not tell. It had always been her intention to acquaint him with the deceit she had fallen to in her zeal to move Lassiter. She did not mean to spare herself. Yet now, at the moment, before these riders, it was an impossibility to explain.

Venters was speaking somewhat haltingly, without his former frankness. ā€œI found Oldringā€™s hiding-place and your red herd. I learnedā€”I knowā€”Iā€™m sure there was a deal between Tull and Oldring.ā€ He paused and shifted his position and his gaze. He looked as if he wanted to say something that he found beyond him. Sorrow and pity and shame seemed to contend for mastery over him. Then he raised himself and spoke with effort. ā€œJane Iā€™ve cost you too much. Youā€™ve almost ruined yourself for me. It was wrong, for Iā€™m not worth it. I never deserved such friendship. Well, maybe itā€™s not too late. You must give me up. Mind, I havenā€™t changed. I am just the same as ever. Iā€™ll see Tull while Iā€™m here, and tell him to his face.ā€

ā€œBern, itā€™s too late,ā€ said Jane.

ā€œIā€™ll make him believe!ā€ cried Venters, violently.

ā€œYou ask me to break our friendship?ā€

ā€œYes. If you donā€™t, I shall.ā€

ā€œForever?ā€

ā€œForever!ā€

Jane sighed. Another shadow had lengthened down the sage slope to cast further darkness upon her. A melancholy sweetness pervaded her resignation. The boy who had left her had returned a man, nobler, stronger, one in whom she divined something unbending as steel. There might come a moment later when she would wonder why she had not fought against his will, but just now she yielded to it. She liked him as wellā€”nay, more, she thought, only her emotions were deadened by the long, menacing wait for the bursting storm.

Once before she had held out her hand to himā€”when she gave it; now she stretched it tremblingly forth in acceptance of the decree circumstance had laid upon them. Venters bowed over it kissed it, pressed it hard, and half stifled a sound very like a sob. Certain it was that when he raised his head tears glistened in his eyes.

ā€œSomeā€”womenā€”have a hard lot,ā€ he said, huskily. Then he shook his powerful form, and his rags lashed about him. ā€œIā€™ll say a few things to Tullā€”when I meet him.ā€

ā€œBernā€”youā€™ll not draw on Tull? Oh, that must not be! Promise meā€”ā€

ā€œI promise you this,ā€ he interrupted, in stern passion that thrilled while it terrorized her. ā€œIf you say one more word for that plotter Iā€™ll kill him as I would a mad coyote!ā€

Jane clasped her hands. Was this fire-eyed man the one whom she had once made as wax to her touch? Had Venters become Lassiter and Lassiter Venters?

ā€œIā€™llā€”say no more,ā€ she faltered.

ā€œJane, Lassiter once called you blind,ā€ said Venters. ā€œIt must be true. But I wonā€™t upbraid you. Only donā€™t rouse the devil in me by praying for Tull! Iā€™ll try to keep cool when I meet him. Thatā€™s all. Now thereā€™s one more thing I want to ask of youā€”the last. Iā€™ve found a valley down in the Pass. Itā€™s a wonderful place. I intend to stay there. Itā€™s so hidden I believe no one can find it. Thereā€™s good water, and browse, and game. I want to raise corn and stock. I need to take in supplies. Will you give them to me?ā€

ā€œAssuredly. The more you take the better youā€™ll please meā€”and perhaps the less myā€”my enemies will get.ā€

ā€œVenters, I reckon youā€™ll have trouble packinā€™ anythinā€™ away,ā€ put in Lassiter.

ā€œIā€™ll go at night.ā€

ā€œMebbe that wouldnā€™t be best. Youā€™d sure be stopped. Youā€™d better go early in the morninā€™ā€”say, just after dawn. Thatā€™s the safest time to move round here.ā€

ā€œLassiter, Iā€™ll be hard to stop,ā€ returned Venters, darkly.

ā€œI reckon so.ā€

ā€œBern,ā€ said Jane, ā€œgo first to the ridersā€™ quarters and get yourself a complete outfit. Youā€™re aā€”a sight. Then help yourself to whatever else you needā€”burros, packs, grain, dried fruits, and meat. You must take coffee and sugar and flourā€”all kinds of supplies. Donā€™t forget corn and seeds. I remember how you used to starve. Pleaseā€”please take all you can pack away from here. Iā€™ll make a bundle for you, which you mustnā€™t open till youā€™re in your valley. How Iā€™d like to see it! To judge by you and Wrangle, how wild it must be!ā€

Jane walked down into the outer court and approached the sorrel. Upstarting, he laid back his ears and eyed her.

ā€œWrangleā€”dear old Wrangle,ā€ she said, and put a caressing hand on his matted mane. ā€œOh, heā€™s wild, but he knows me! Bern, can he run as fast as ever?ā€

ā€œRun? Jane, heā€™s done sixty miles since last night at dark, and I could make him kill Black Star right now in a ten-mile race.ā€

ā€œHe never could,ā€ protested Jane. ā€œHe couldnā€™t even if he was fresh.ā€

ā€œI reckon mebbe the best hossā€™ll prove himself yet,ā€ said Lassiter, ā€œanā€™, Jane, if it ever comes to that race Iā€™d like you to be on Wrangle.ā€

ā€œIā€™d like that, too,ā€ rejoined Venters. ā€œBut, Jane, maybe Lassiterā€™s hint is extreme. Bad as your prospects are, youā€™ll surely never come to the running point.ā€

ā€œWho knows!ā€ she replied, with mournful smile.

ā€œNo, no, Jane, it canā€™t be so bad as all that. Soon as I see Tull thereā€™ll be a change in your fortunes. Iā€™ll hurry down to the village.... Now donā€™t worry.ā€

Jane retired to the seclusion of her room. Lassiterā€™s subtle forecasting of disaster, Ventersā€™s forced optimism, neither remained in mind. Material loss weighed nothing in the balance with other losses she was sustaining. She wondered dully at her sitting there, hands folded listlessly, with a kind of numb deadness to the passing of time and the passing of her riches. She thought of Ventersā€™s friendship. She had not lost that, but she had lost him. Lassiterā€™s friendshipā€”that was more than loveā€”it would endure, but soon he, too, would be gone. Little Fay slept dreamlessly upon the bed, her golden curls streaming over the pillow. Jane had the childā€™s worship. Would she lose that, too? And if she did, what then would be left? Conscience thundered at her that there was left her religion. Conscience thundered that she should be grateful on her knees for this baptism of fire; that through misfortune, sacrifice, and suffering her soul might be fused pure gold. But the old, spontaneous, rapturous spirit no more exalted her. She wanted to be a womanā€”not a martyr. Like the saint of old who mortified his flesh, Jane Withersteen had in her the temper for heroic martyrdom, if by sacrificing herself she could save the souls of others. But here the damnable verdict blistered her that the more she sacrificed herself the blacker grew the souls of her churchmen. There was something terribly wrong with her soul, something terribly wrong with her churchmen and her religion. In the whirling gulf of her thought there was yet one shining light to guide her, to sustain her in her hope; and it was that, despite her errors and her frailties and her blindness, she had one absolute and unfaltering hold on ultimate and supreme justice. That was love. ā€œLove your enemies as yourself!ā€ was a divine word, entirely free from any church or creed.

Janeā€™s meditations were disturbed by Lassiterā€™s soft, tinkling step in the court. Always he wore the clinking spurs. Always he was in readiness to ride. She passed out and called him into the huge, dim hall.

ā€œI think youā€™ll be safer here. The court is too open,ā€ she said.

ā€œI reckon,ā€ replied Lassiter. ā€œAnā€™ itā€™s cooler here. The dayā€™s sure muggy. Well, I went down to the village with Venters.ā€

ā€œAlready! Where is he?ā€ queried Jane, in quick amaze.

ā€œHeā€™s at the corrals. Blakeā€™s helpinā€™ him get the burros anā€™ packs ready. That Blake is a good fellow.ā€

ā€œDidā€”did Bern meet Tull?ā€

ā€œI guess he did,ā€ answered Lassiter, and he laughed dryly.

ā€œTell me! Oh, you exasperate me! Youā€™re so cool, so calm! For Heavenā€™s sake, tell me what happened!ā€

ā€œFirst time Iā€™ve been in the village for weeks,ā€ went on Lassiter, mildly. ā€œI reckon there ainā€™t been more of a show for a long time. Me anā€™ Venters walkinā€™ down the road! It was funny. I ainā€™t sayinā€™ anybody was particular glad to see us. Iā€™m not much thought of hereabouts, anā€™ Venters he sure looks like what you called him, a wild man. Well, there was some runninā€™ of folks before we got to the stores. Then everybody vamoosed except some surprised rustlers in front of a saloon. Venters went right in the stores anā€™ saloons, anā€™ of course I went along. I donā€™t know which tickled me the mostā€”the actions of many fellers we met, or Ventersā€™s nerve. Jane, I was downright glad to be along. You see that sort of thing is my element, anā€™ Iā€™ve been away from it for a spell. But we didnā€™t find Tull in one of them places. Some Gentile feller at last told Venters heā€™d find Tull in that long buildinā€™ next to Parsonsā€™s store. Itā€™s a kind of meetinā€™-room; and sure enough, when we peeped in, it was half full of men.

ā€œVenters yelled: ā€˜Donā€™t anybody pull guns! We ainā€™t come for that!ā€™ Then he tramped in, anā€™ I was some put to keep alongside him. There was a hard, scrapinā€™ sound of feet, a loud cry, anā€™ then some whisperinā€™, anā€™ after that stillness you could cut with a knife. Tull was there, anā€™ that fat party who once tried to throw a gun on me, anā€™ other important-lookinā€™ men, enā€™ that little frog-legged feller who was with Tull the day I rode in here. I wish you could have seen their faces, ā€™specially Tullā€™s anā€™ the fat partyā€™s. But there ainā€™t no use of me tryinā€™ to tell you how they looked.

ā€œWell, Venters anā€™ I stood there in the middle of the room with that batch of men all in front of us, enā€™ not a blamed one of them winked an eyelash or moved a finger. It was natural, of course, for me to notice many of them packed guns. Thatā€™s a way of mine, first noticinā€™ them things. Venters spoke up, anā€™ his voice sort of chilled anā€™ cut, enā€™ he told Tull he had a few things to say.ā€

Here Lassiter paused while he turned his sombrero round and round, in his familiar habit, and his eyes had the look of a man seeing over again some thrilling spectacle, and under his red bronze there was strange animation.

ā€œLike a shot, then, Venters told Tull that the friendship between you anā€™ him was all over, anā€™ he was leaving your place. He said youā€™d both of you broken off in the hope of propitiatinā€™ your people, but you hadnā€™t changed your mind otherwise, anā€™ never would.

ā€œNext he spoke up for you. I ainā€™t goinā€™ to tell you what he said. Onlyā€”no other woman who ever lived ever had such tribute! You had a champion,

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