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Groping his way into the woodshed, he entered the kitchen and, calling low, he went on into thevoice

"Yes, I'ht?"

"Yes I think I've got a bullet crease onI didn't know I had it till now It's bleedin' a little But it's nothin'"

Jean heard soft steps and soed to his sister Ann She embraced him Jean felt the heave and throb of her breast

"Why, Ann, I'm not hurt," he said, and held her close "Now you lie down an' try to sleep"

In the black darkness of the cabin Jean led her back to the corner and his heart was full Speech was difficult, because the very touch of Ann's hands had made hied the plight of the women

"Wal, what happened out there?" deot two of thee west An' the other was Greaves"

"Hah!" exclaimed his father

"Shore then it was Greaves yellin'," declared Blaisdell "By God, I never heard such yells! Whad 'd you do, Jean?"

"I knifed him You see, I'd planned to slip up on one after another An' I didn't want to et any farther than Greaves"

"Wal, I reckon that 'll end their shootin' in the dark," ot to be on the lookout for somethin' else--fire, most likely"

The old rancher's surmise proved to be partially correct Jorth's faction ceased the shooting Nothing further was seen or heard froe were harder to bear than deliberate hostility The long, dark hours dragged by The , but none of theray dawn stole out of the east The sky turned rose over the distant range and daylight ca slept away their fears The woet a hot breakfast

"Maybe they've gone away," suggested Guy Isbel's wife, peering out of theShe had done that several tiaze search the pasture until it rested upon the dark, prone shape of her dead husband, lying face down in the grass Her look worried Jean