ge coming of Lassiter left me still a man, and now I'll die a
man!... Give me my guns."

Silently she went into the house, to return with a heavy cartridge-belt
and gun-filled sheath and a long rifle; these she handed to him, and as
he buckled on the belt she stood before him in silent eloquence.

"Jane," he said, in gentler voice, "don't look so. I'm not going out to
murder your churchman. I'll try to avoid him and all his men. But can't
you see I've reached the end of my rope? Jane, you're a wonderful woman.
Never was there a woman so unselfish and good. Only you're blind in one
way.... Listen!"

From behind the grove came the clicking sound of horses in a rapid trot.

"Some of your riders," he continued. "It's getting time for the night
shift. Let us go out to the bench in the grove and talk there."

It was still daylight in the open, but under the spreading cottonwoods
shadows were obscuring the lanes. Venters drew Jane off from one of
these into a shrub-lined trail, just wide enough for the two to walk
abreast, and in a roundabout way led her far from the house to a knoll
on the edge of the grove. Here in a secluded nook was a bench from
which, through an opening in the tree-tops, could be seen the sage-slope
and the wall of rock and the dim lines of canyons. Jane had not spoken
since Venters had shocked her with his first harsh speech; but all the
way she had clung to his arm, and now, as he stopped and laid his rifle
against the bench, she still clung to him.

"Jane, I'm afraid I must leave you."

"Bern!" she cried.

"Yes, it looks that way. My position is not a happy one--I can't feel
right--I've lost all--"

"I'll give you anything you--"

"Listen, please. When I say loss I don't mean what you think. I mean
loss of good-will, good name--that which would have enabled me to stand
up in this village without bitterness. Well, it's too late.... Now, as to
the future, I think you'd do best to give me up. Tull is implacable.
You ought to see from his intention to-day that--But you can't see. Your
blindness--your damned religion!... Jane, forgive me--I'm sore within and
something rankles. Well, I fear that invisible hand will turn its hidden
work to your ruin."

"Invisible hand? Bern!"

"I mean your Bishop." Venters said it deliberately and would not release
her as she started back. "He's the law. The edict went forth to ruin me.
Well, look at me! It'll now go forth to compel you to the will of the
Churc