thing of the kind. It is I who have
wronged you and yours; you must take the offensive; I will play a
silent hand."

"You refuse to fight me?"

"I _do_ refuse to fight you, but do _not_ refuse to give you
satisfaction for what wrong you have suffered. Take my life, if you
choose; it is yours. Take it, or forever after this consider our debt
of hatred canceled, and let us be--"

"Friends? Never, Justin McKenzie, _never_! You forget the stain dyed
by your hand that will never washout!"

"No! no! God knows I do not forget!" and the youth's voice was hoarse
with anguish. "Could it be undone, I would gladly undo the deed. But,
tell me, Harris about _her_. Does she still live?"

"_Live_? We-l-l, yes, if you can call staying living. Life is but a
blank; better she had died ere she ever met you!"

"You speak truly; better she had died ere she met me."

Unconsciously the two had ridden closer to each other; had they
forgotten themselves in recalling the past?

"She lives--may live on her lonely life for years to come," Harris
resumed, thoughtfully, "but her life will be merely endurance."

"Will you tell me where--where I can go in secret and take but one
look at her? If you will do this, I will agree to meet you and give
you your chance for satis--"

"No!" thundered Harris, growing suddenly furious, "_no_! a thousand
times! I'd sooner see her in the burning depths of the bottomless pit
than have you get within a hundred miles of her with your
contaminating presence. She is safely hidden away, and that forever,
from the companionship of our sex. So let her be till death claims
her!"

"You are too hard on her!"

"And not hard enough on you, base villain that your are! Who is this
young lady you have to your company--another of your victims?"

"Hold! Edward Harris; enough of your vile insinuations. This lady is
one whom I rescued from Sitting Bull, the Sioux, and I am helping her
to hunt a father who she says is somewhere in the Black Hills. Your
language should at least be respectful!"

The rebuke stung young Harris to the quick, but he reined in his
passion to a moment, and doffed his hat.

"Pardon me; miss, pardon me. It was ungentlemanly for me to speak as I
did, but I was surprised at seeing one of your sex in company with
this accomplished scamp, Justin McKenzie."

"My presence with him is, as he said, for the purpose of finding my
father. He rescued me from the Indians, and has volunteered his
services