aying slightly with dizziness, yet smiling down at her as he held
forth a hand. "Now you try it; take hold of me until you test your
limbs--that was an ugly fall you got when I shot your pony."

She straightened slowly, her cheeks flushing in the keen air, her eyes
striving to smile back in response to his challenge.

"That was nothing," she protested, tramping about. "I only went down
into the snow, but my arms were bound, and the pony fell on my foot--it
feels quite natural now."

"Good. We shall have to tramp a little way. In which direction did
Dupont go?"

"Across the ridge there; see, that is his trail."

"Then he never saw our horses out yonder. That is one piece or good
luck, at least. The sooner we get to them the better. I have been
guilty of enough foolishness to-day to be careful hereafter." He
looked across at Hughes' body. "I wonder if that fellow meant to hit
me? I never trusted him much, but I did n't expect that. Did you see
him fire?"

"Yes, but it was so sudden I could not even cry out. He was upon one
knee, and his revolver waved like this as he tried to aim. Dupont saw
it, and jumped just as he pulled the trigger."

"I thought so. The poor devil got the wrong man."

"Why? Were those two enemies?"

"They had been partners, stealing and running cattle. Dupont had
cheated Hughes out of his share, and there was bad blood between them.
I ran across the fellow up on the Cimarron, waiting for Dupont to come
back to his old range. Did you ever hear Dupont called by any other
name?"

She shook her head questioningly.

"No; was n't that his real name? The woman back there--wasn't she his
wife?"

"She was his wife, yes; but their name was not Dupont. That was
assumed; the correct one was Le Fevre."

"Le Fevre! Why,--why, wasn't that the name of the man you told me
about once?--the officer who brought you those orders?"

"He is the same. I did not know him at Dodge; not until Hughes told
me. He had changed greatly in appearance, and I only saw him at night.
But it was because I knew that I failed to kill him here; I wanted him
alive, so I could compel him to tell the truth."

She gave a little sob, her hands clasped together. The man's voice
softened, and he took a step nearer, bending above her.

"And yet now I do not care quite as much as I did."

She looked up quickly into his face, and as swiftly lowered her lashes.

"You mean you have found other evidence?"