replied.

"Dock Wilson sez 'at you chased hire out o' the room with a gun an'
wouldn't let him examine this man."

"Well," sez I, "as far as that goes, this man has a right to judge for
himself. He saved your life an' your outfit an' your daughter, an' I
don't reckon you're goin' to tie him into a knot so as a doctor can go
pokin' around in him when he don't want it."

"You're as obstinate as ever!" shouts Jabez. "He 's probably out of his
head."

"No, he ain't out of his head," sez Monody, in a low, soft voice, but
without openin' his eyes more'n a crack.

"He ain't out of his head an' he ain't forgot nothin' he ever knew, an'
it'll be better all around if he's allowed to go in peace."

Jabez looked at him in surprise, and Monody scowled up his face till he
looked like a wounded Silver Tip, but the' came a queer hunted look
into Jabez' eyes for a moment, an' then he muttered, "Well, this is a
free country an' I reckon lie has the right to decide. He has sure
saved us, an' if the' 's anything on earth I can give him, all lie has
to do is to ask for it, an' I hope he pulls through in his own way."

Jabez fidgeted around a minute or two longer an' then he oozed out o'
the room. When he'd gone of Monody chuckled a wicked, contented
chuckle, an' after a bit he sez, "It's him all right, it's him, but he
never did me any harm, an' I wouldn't worry the child, not for worlds.
She ought to have a woman around her though. You get old Melisse back,
Happy, an' remember--if it ever comes to a question of you or him--just
call him George Jordan an' say 'at Jack Whitman wasn't killed "--Monody
chuckled again, an' then sobered--"but don't spring it except as a last
resort, 'cause the little girl couldn't help nothin' about the Creole
Belle, an' she ain't no call to be worried by it. Jim Jimison, he's
white, Happy, but he 'd 'a' been killed that trip if you hadn't taken
bolt when you did. He's learned the game purty well now, though, an' I
reckon he'll make good."

Poor old Monody kept on talkin' disconnected until about midnight,
first tellin' some devilish deed he'd seen or took part in, an' then
tellin' o' some joke or some act o' kindness. Just at midnight he took
my hand, an' the' came a look into his eyes like as if he was about
overcome by some beautiful vision; but in a moment he cohered down an'
he gripped my hand till it hurt. "Happy," he gasped, "I allus loved ya,
Happy. You won't let--you won't let 'em--" an' it wa