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"Oh, did he really say that?Did he--really mean it?" murmured Ellen, with a sob

"I'll swear it by the ht coan to shoot They smashed in the door--tried to burn us out--an' hollered around for a while Then they left an' we reckoned there'd be no ht All the sa We had some quarrels aboot the drinkin' Your dad said if we kept it up it 'd be the end of the Jorths An' he planned to send word to the Isbels next o fix it up with Gaston Isbel Wal, your dad went to bed in Greaves's room, an' a little while later your uncle Jackson went in there, too Some of the uard till aboot three in the ot so sleepy I couldn't hold uard, one at each end of the store Then I laid down on the counter to take a nap"

Colter's low voice, the strain and breathlessness of hi, and especially the simple, matter-of-fact detail of his story, carried absolute conviction to Ellen Jorth Her vague doubt of him had been created by his attitude toward her Ees, the scenes called up by Colter's words, were as true as the glooht solitude--as true as the strange fact that she lay passive in the arm of a rustler

"Wall, after a while I woke up," went on Colter, clearing his throat "It was gray dawn All was as still as death An' soot to drinkin' again an' now laid daid drunk or asleep Anyways, when I kicked them they never moved Then I heard a moan It came from the rooht enough to see Your uncle Jackson was layin' on the floor--cut half in two--daid as a door nail Your dad lay on the bed He was alive, breathin' his last He says, 'That half-breed Isbel--knifed us--while we slept!'The winder shutter was open I seen where Jean Isbel had coone out I seen his moccasin tracks in the dirt outside an' I seen where he'd stepped in Jackson's blood an' tracked it to the winder Y'u shore can see theo back to Greaves's store Your dad was goin' fast He said, 'Colter--take care of Ellen,' an' I reckon he meant a lot by that He kept sayin', 'My God! if I'd only seen Gaston Isbel before it was too late!' an' then he raved a little, whisperin' out of his haid An' after that he died I woke up the men, an' aboot sunup we carried your dad an' uncle out of town an' buried them An' them Isbels shot at us while ere buryin' our daid! That's where Tad got his hurt Then we hit the trail for Jorth's ranch An now, Ellen, that's all my story Your dad was ready to bury the hatchet with his old enee he is, murdered your uncle an' your dad Cut him horrible--e!"