n that her father was planning the death of the nester. Duncan's
only mistake was in including Dakota in the scheme.

She had hoped against hope that she might discover that Duncan had been
wrong altogether; that she had done her father an injury in believing him
capable of deliberately planning a murder. She looked again at Dakota.
There was no mistaking his earnestness, she thought, for there was no
evidence of deceit or knavery in his face, nor in the eyes that were
steadily watching her.

She put her hands to her face and shivered, now thoroughly convinced of
her father's guilt; feeling a sudden repugnance for him, for everybody and
everything in the country, excepting Doubler.

She had done all she could, however, to prevent them killing Doubler--all
she could do except to warn Doubler of his danger, and she would go to him
immediately. Without looking again at Dakota she turned, dry eyed and
pale, urging her pony up the trail toward the nester's cabin, leaving
Dakota sitting silent in his saddle, watching her.

She lingered on the trail, riding slowly, halting when she came to a spot
which offered a particularly good view of the country surrounding her, for
in spite of her lonesomeness she could not help appreciating the beauty of
the land, with its towering mountains, its blue sky, its vast, yawning
distances, and the peacefulness which seemed to be everywhere except in
her heart.

She presently reached the Two Forks and urged her pony through the shallow
water of its crossing, riding up the slight, intervening slope and upon a
stretch of plain beside a timber grove. A little later she came to the
corral gates, where she dismounted and hitched her pony to a rail, smiling
to herself as she thought of how surprised Doubler would be to see her.

Then she left the corral gate and stole softly around a corner of the
cabin, determined to steal upon Doubler unawares. Once at the corner, she
halted and peered around. She saw Doubler lying in the open doorway, his
body twisted into a peculiarly odd position, face down, his arms
outstretched, his legs doubled under him.

CHAPTER XIII

THE SHOT IN THE BACK

For an instant after discovering Doubler lying in the doorway, Sheila
stood motionless at the corner of the cabin, looking down wonderingly at
him. She thought at first that he was merely resting, but his body was
doubled up so oddly that a grave doubt rose in her mind. A vague fear
clutched at her hear