above the fireplace, and went to the door with it
in his hand.

"Oh, don't fire, father, don't." cried the woman. "They'll come and
murder us all in our sleep if you do! Don't fire!" and she pulled him
back by the sleeve.

Shaking her off, with another oath, he stepped across the threshold, and
stood listening, and peering into the darkness. Alessandro's heart beat
like a hammer in his breast. Except for the thought of Ramona, he would
have sprung on the man, seized his gun, and killed him.

"I don't believe it was anybody, after all, father," persisted the
woman. "Bud's always seein' things. I don't believe there was anybody
there. Come in; supper's gettin' all cold."

"Well, I'll jest fire, to let 'em know there's powder 'n shot round
here," said the fiend. "If it hits any on 'em roamin' round, he won't
know what hurt him;" and levelling his gun at random, with his drunken,
unsteady hand he fired. The bullet whistled away harmlessly into
the empty darkness. Hearkening a few moments, and hearing no cry, he
hiccuped, "Mi-i-issed him that time," and went in to his supper.

Alessandro did not dare to stir for a long time. How he cursed his own
folly in having brought himself into this plight! What needless pain of
waiting he was inflicting on the faithful one, watching for him in that
desolate and fearful place of graves! At last he ventured,--sliding
along on his belly a few inches at a time, till, several rods from the
house, he dared at last to spring to his feet and bound away at full
speed for Hartsel's.

Hartsel's was one of those mongrel establishments to be seen nowhere
except in Southern California. Half shop, half farm, half tavern, it
gathered up to itself all the threads of the life of the whole region.
Indians, ranchmen, travellers of all sorts, traded at Hartsel's, drank
at Hartsel's, slept at Hartsel's. It was the only place of its kind
within a radius of twenty miles; and it was the least bad place of its
kind within a much wider radius.

Hartsel was by no means a bad fellow--when he was sober; but as that
condition was not so frequent as it should have been, he sometimes came
near being a very bad fellow indeed. At such times everybody was afraid
of him,--wife, children, travellers, ranchmen, and all. "It was only a
question of time and occasion," they said, "Hartsel's killing somebody
sooner or later;" and it looked as if the time were drawing near
fast. But, out of his cups, Hartsel was kindly,