know about Dad
all so big?"

He could see that June's eyes were not so bold as the words. They winced
from his even as she put the question.

"Ask him."

"What'll I ask? I wouldn't believe anything you told me about him. He's
not like you. He's good."

"You don't have to believe me. Ask him if he ever knew any one called
Pete Purdy. Ask him who Jasper Stuart was. An' where he lived whilst you
was stayin' with yore aunt at Rawlins."

"I ain't afraid to," she retorted. "I'll do it right now."

Houck was sprawled on a bench in front of the cabin. He grinned
impudently. His manner was an exasperating challenge. Evidently he did
not believe she would.

June turned and walked to the stable. The heavy brogans weighted down the
lightness of her step. The shapeless clothes concealed the grace of the
slim figure. But even so there was a vital energy in the way she moved.

Tolliver was mending the broken teeth of a hay-rake and making a poor job
of it.

June made a direct frontal attack. "Dad, did you ever know a man named
Pete Purdy?"

The rancher's lank, unshaven jaw fell. The blow had fallen at last. In a
way he had expected it. Yet his mind was too stunned to find any road of
escape.

"Why, yes--yes, I--yes, honey," he faltered.

"Who was he?"

"Well, he was a--a cowpuncher, I reckon."

"Who was Jasper Stuart, then?"

An explanation could no longer be dodged or avoided. Houck had talked too
much. Tolliver knew he must make a clean breast of it, and that his own
daughter would sit in judgment on him. Yet he hung back. The years of
furtive silence still held him.

"He was a fellow lived in Brown's Park."

"What had you to do with him? Why did Jake Houck tell me to ask you about
him?"

"Oh, I reckon--"

"And about where you lived while I was with Aunt Molly at Rawlins?" she
rushed on.

The poor fellow moistened his dry lips. "I--I'll tell you the whole
story, honey. Mebbe I'd ought to 'a' told you long ago. But someways--"
He stopped, trying for a fresh start. "You'll despise yore old daddy. You
sure will. Well, you got a right to. I been a mighty bad father to you,
June. Tha's a fact."

She waited, dread-filled eyes on his.

"Prob'ly I'd better start at the beginnin', don't you reckon? I never did
have any people to brag about. Father and mother died while I was a li'l'
grasshopper. I was kinda farmed around, as you might say. Then I come
West an' got to punchin' cows. Seems like, I got into a ba