. They mayn't ever be. But that don't say a
thing against 'em." He smiled. It was the patient smile of a man who
is entirely master of himself. "Then Murray's got a kick coming to
him, too. He's a queer figger, and he knows it and hates it. A thing
like that's calculated to sour a feller some. I mean his ways."

Alec's agreement came with a smiling nod. He became expansive.

"Sure," he said. "You know Murray's got no women-folk around him. And
I guess a feller's not alive till he's got women-folk around him." He
drew a deep breath. "Gee," he cried, in a sort of ecstasy. "I know
those things--now."

"Yes."

Kars was watching the play of emotion in the boy's eyes. He was
following every thought passing behind them, measuring those things
which might militate against his object.

"I can tell you a thing now I'd have hated to remember a while back,"
Alec went on. "Say, it used to set me plumb crazy thinking of it.
There were times I could have shot Murray down in his tracks for it.
It was Jessie. He was just crazy to marry her. I know," he nodded
sapiently. "He never said a word. Jess knew, too, and she never said
a word. She hates him. She hates him--that way--worse than she hates
the Bell River neches. I was glad then. But it ain't that way now.
We were both wrong. Maybe I'll make a talk with her one day. I owe
Murray more than the dollars he handed me."

"Yes."

Not by the movement of an eyelid did Kars betray his feelings. But a
fierce passion was tingling in every nerve as the youth went on talking.

"It's queer how folks get narrowed down living in a bum layout like the
Fort." He smiled in a self-satisfied way. "I used to think Jose a
wise guy one time. There's heaps of things you can't see right in a
layout like that. I reckon Jessie ought to know Murray better. It's
up to me. Don't you guess that way, too?"

Kars smilingly shook his head.

"It doesn't do butting in," he said. "Y'see folks know best how they
need to act. You're feeling that way--now. No feller can think right
for others. Guess folks' eyes don't see the same. Maybe it's to do
with the color," he smiled. "When a man and a woman get thinking
things, there's no room for other folks."

Kars' manner had a profound effect. He was talking as though dealing
with a man of wide worldly knowledge, and the youth was more than
flattered. He accepted the situation and the suggestion.

"Maybe you're right," he