se. _White_ faces appearing over the rock instead of
_red_ ones, had caused this sudden change in his demeanour.

Before he had time to give utterance to his astonishment, Lilian glided
from behind the boulder, and standing with arms extended, cried out: "O
father! they are not Indians! It is Marian! it is--" At the same
instant her sister appeared by her side.

"Marian alive!" cried Holt, recognising his long-lost daughter. "My
child Marian yet livin'! God be praised! Thur's one weight off o' my
poor soul--an' now to eeze it o' another!" As he uttered the last
words, he wrenched his horse half around, and dropped to his feet upon
the nearer side. Then, quickly resting his rifle over the hollow of the
saddle, he brought its barrel to bear on the breast of Stebbins--who
still sat upon horseback, scarce twenty paces distant from its muzzle.

"Now, Josh Stebbins!" cried the squatter, in a voice of thunder, "the
time's come to squar the yards wi' _you_!"

"What do you mean, Holt?" mechanically inquired the Mormon, in trembling
surprise. "What do you mean by that?"

"I mean, you infernal skunk, that afore ye leave this groun', ye've got
to make a clean breast o' it, an' clar me o' the crime o' murder."

"What murder?" inquired Stebbins, prevaricatingly.

"Oh! you know what I'm talkin' about! 'Twant _no_ murder. 'Twar only a
suicide; an' God knows it broke my own heart." Holt's voice was husky
with emotion. He continued, after a pause: "For all o' that,
appearances wur agin' me: an' you invented proofs that wud a stood good
among lawyers, though thur as false as yur own black heart. Ye've kep'
'm over me for years, to sarve yer rascally designs. But thur's neither
law nor lawyers hyur to help you any longer. Thur's witnesses o' both
sides--yur own beauties down yander; an' some hyur o' a better sort, I
reck'n. Afore them, I call on ye to declar that yur proofs wur false,
an' that I'm innocent o' the crime o' murder!"

There was a profound silence when the speaker finished. The strange and
unexpected nature of the demand, held every one in breathless surprise.
Even the armed men at the bottom of the _vallon_ said not a word; and
perceiving that, by the defection of Holt, there was almost gun for gun
against them, they showed no signs of advancing to the protection of
their apostolic leader. The latter appeared for a moment to vacillate.
The fear depicted upon his features was blended with an expression