tuned him, to listen to reason, to be guided by her, to fight the
wildness that had obsessed him, to make sure that she would not be left
alone. All in vain! He swore he would kill Kells and any other bandit
who stood in the way of his leading her free out of that cabin. He was
wild to fight. He might never have felt fear of these robbers. He would
not listen to any possibility of defeat for himself, or the possibility
that in the event of Kells's death she would be worse off. He laughed at
her strange, morbid fears of Gulden. He was immovable.

"Jim!... Jim! You'll break my heart!" she whispered, wailingly. "Oh!
WHAT can I do?"

Then Joan released her clasp and gave up to utter defeat. Cleve was
silent. He did not seem to hear the shuddering little sobs that shook
her. Suddenly he bent close to her.

"There's one thing you can do. If you'll do it I won't kill Kells. I'll
obey your every word."

"What is it? Tell me!"

"Marry me!" he whispered, and his voice trembled.

"MARRY YOU!" exclaimed Joan. She was confounded. She began to fear Jim
was out of his head.

"I mean it. Marry me. Oh, Joan, will you--will you? It'll make the
difference. That'll steady me. Don't you want to?"

"Jim, I'd be the happiest girl in the world if--if I only COULD marry
you!" she breathed, passionately.

"But will you--will you? Say yes! Say yes!"

"YES!" replied Joan in her desperation. "I hope that pleases you. But
what on earth is the use to talk about it now?"

Cleve seemed to expand, to grow taller, to thrill under her nervous
hands. And then he kissed her differently. She sensed a shyness,
a happiness, a something hitherto foreign to his attitude. It was
spiritual, and somehow she received an uplift of hope.

"Listen," he whispered. "There's a preacher down in camp. I've seen
him--talked with him. He's trying to do good in that hell down there.
I know I can trust him. I'll confide in him--enough. I'll fetch him up
here tomorrow night--about this time. Oh, I'll be careful--very careful.
And he can marry us right here by the window. Joan, will you do it?...
Somehow, whatever threatens you or me--that'll be my salvation!... I've
suffered so. It's been burned in my heart that YOU would never marry me.
Yet you say you love me!... Prove it!... MY WIFE!... Now, girl, a word
will make a man of me!"

"Yes!" And with the word she put her lips to his with all her heart in
them. She felt him tremble. Yet almost instantly he put her fr