low knocked at the door and
went in.

"Take this, it will make you feel better."

She hoped he would talk, but he didn't. He only thanked her feebly. Then
Charlie came back from his brother's shanty. He had remembered that, it
being Sunday, the Preacher would be missed and he saddled his horse to
set out for Cedar Mountain. As he left, his wife came out and said:

"While you are there, drop a hint to Belle Boyd," and Charlie nodded.

Arriving at Dr. Jebb's, Charlie explained the case to the pastor without
detail:

"Sure, Mr. Hartigan had a little accident at our corner last night and
sprained his ankle. My wife is nursing him, but he won't be able to
preach to-day."

"Oh, dear! Oh, dear! Well, it is all right, I will take both services,"
and the blind and gentle old man turned to his books.

Then Bylow rode to the Boyd home. Here, he realized, was a much more
difficult job. But he was determined to go into no details. It was Belle
who answered his knock. Charlie began:

"My wife told me to tell you that Mr. Hartigan got hurt last night. He
is at our house. He won't be in town to-day."

"What? Did he interfere in a spree?"

"Yes."

"Is he shot?"

"No."

"Is he wounded?"

"No, not exactly."

"What is the matter?"

"Only a general shakeup, he had a bad fall," and Bylow moved uneasily.

It was a simple matter to bluff a simple old clergyman, but it was
another thing altogether to mislead an alert young woman. Belle knew
there was something wrong--something more and different from what she
had been told.

"Is the doctor with him?"

"No."

"I will get the doctor and come at once."

"No, I wouldn't; at least, not till morning."

Bylow's manner roused Belle all the more to prompt action. Seeing that
all his explanations made things worse, Charlie abruptly left, mounted
his broncho, and went "rockity rockity" as the pony's heels went "puff,
puff" on the dusty trail around the hill and away.

The doctor was not to be found that morning and Belle found it hard to
await his return. In the meantime, some strange rumour must have reached
the town for in Sunday-school Belle met Eliza Lowe, the recently arrived
sister of the schoolteacher. The look on her face, the gleam in her eye,
were unmistakable. She had not yet learned of her brother's part in the
affair. Belle found herself avoiding the sister's gaze.

As the hours passed the conviction deepened in Belle that there was
something seriously wrong;