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That motive of hers seemed to obstruct his will Ellen was keen to see that Colter and his co under a severe strain Nerve and courage of the open and the wild they possessed, but only in a liree Colter seeh Ellen in her stubborn pride did not yet fear hiht to After that incident she watched closely, never leaving her uncle's bedside except when Colter was absent One or more of the men kept constant lookout sos of suspense, of watching, offor some hour that seemed fixed

Colter was like a hound upon her trail At every turn he was there to ihten her with the ive herself to him It came to pass that the only relief she had hen she ate with the ht Not much relief, however, was there in the shut and barred door With one thrust of his powerful arm Colter could have caved it in He knew this as well as Ellen Still she did not have the fear she should have had There was her rifle beside her, and though she did not allow her mind to run darkly on its possible use, still the fact of its being there at hand so with a mouse, but not yet sure of his quarry

Ellen came to know hours when she eak--weak physically, ht of this frightful and growing burden of suspense she was not capable of fighting her misery, her abasement, her low ebb of vitality, and at the sa Colter's advances

He would come into the cabin and, utterly indifferent to Tad Jorth, he would try to ht her in one of her unresisting moments and was able to hold her in his arms and kiss her he seemed to be beside himself with the wonder of her At such entleness in hi her go, when apparently she was about to faint So it ly fixed in Colter's mind that at times Ellen repulsed him with scorn and at others could not resist him