if to fall, and he caught her, not knowing it was hope
instead of despair that took the color from her face and left her
helpless.

"Courage, 'Tana! Tell us what you can. I left you just as the moon came
up. I saw you go to Mrs. Huzzard's tent. Now, where did you go after
that?"

"What?" almost shouted Lyster. "You were with her when the moon rose. Are
you sure?"

"Sure? Of course I am. Why?"

"And how long before that, Mr. Overton?" asked Saunders; "for that is a
very important point."

"About a half-hour, I should say--maybe a little more," he answered,
staring at them. "Now, what important thing does that prove?"

One of the men gave a cheer; three or four had come up to the door when
they saw Overton, and they took the yell up with a will. Mrs. Huzzard
started to run from the tent, but grew so nervous that she had to wait
until Miss Slocum came to her aid.

"What in the world does it mean?" she gasped.

Saunders turned around with an honestly pleased look.

"It means that Mr. Overton here has brought word that clears Miss Rivers
of being at the cabin when the murder was done--that's what it means; and
we are all too glad over it to keep quiet. But why in the world didn't you
tell us that, miss?"

But she did not say a word. All about Dan were exclamations and disjointed
sentences, from which he could gain little actual knowledge, and he turned
to Lyster, impatiently:

"Can't you tell me--can't some of you tell me, what I have cleared up for
her? When was this killing supposed to be done?"

"At or a little before moonrise," said Max, his face radiant once more.
"'Tana--don't you know what he has done for you? taken away all of that
horribly mistaken suspicion you let rest on you. Where was she, Dan?"

"Last night? Oh, up above the bluff there--went up when the pretty red
lights were in the sky, and staid until the moon rose. I came across her
up there, and advised her not to range away alone; so, when she got good
and ready, she walked back again, and went to the tent where you folks
were. Then I struck the creek, decided I would take a run up the lake, and
left without seeing any of you again. And all this time 'Tana has had a
guard over her. Some of you must have been crazy."

"Well, then, I guess I was the worst lunatic of the lot," confessed
Saunders. "But to tell the truth, Mr. Overton, it looks to me now as if
she encouraged suspicion--yes, it does. 'Overton's knife,' said some one;
but, quic