pale lips were quivering, the long arm shook as it held
the gun.

"God!" whispered the girl, watching, "she loves him! Like I loved Jim
Last! Th' pain's in her heart, an' no mistake!"

Then, as if something strong within her folded its iron arm upon
itself, she began to back El Rey. "Back out!" she called, "we ain't no
woman-killers!"

With one accord, carefully, watching, the Vigilantes began to back,
counting the seconds, expecting each moment to witness the most
pitiful thing Lost Valley with all its crimes, had ever seen.

Some one lifted the body of Thomas and swung it across a horse.

Back to the corner of the house, around, they went, and finally, out
in front they turned as one man and rode away from the Stronghold--and
Jim Banner was swearing like a fury, steadily, in a high-pitched
voice.

"Failed!" he cried between his oaths, "failed in our biggest job!
That's th' gun, all right, all right, an' that damned woman beat us to
it! Beat us to it with her fool's courage an' her sickenin' love! Oh,
t' hell with Courtrey an' all this Valley! I'm a-goin' t' move down
th' Wall, s'help me!"

But Tharon Last forged to his side and gripped his arm in her strong
fingers.

"Shut up, Jim Banner," she said tensely. "You've only begun. That's
th' gun, I make no doubt, an' Ellen knew it--but if we're worth
killin' we'll dig into this harder'n ever. Here's poor Thomas, makes
one more notch on my record. I'm not sayin' quit! An' you're th'
bravest man in Corvan, too!"

At Last's Holding the Vigilantes stopped for rest and food.

They had been in saddle the better part of forty-eight hours.

Young Paula, Jose and Anita set up a steaming meal, and they ate like
famished men, by relays at the big table in the dining room.

Tharon Last sat quietly at the board's head throughout the meal,
pensive, thinking of Ellen, but grimly planning for the future.

And Billy and Kenset watched her, each with a secret pain at his
heart.

"Lord, Lord," said Billy to himself, "she's listenin' when he speaks
like she never listened to any one before!"

In Kenset's mind drilled over and over again the ceaseless thought "A
hand or a heart--she could hit them both with ease. It's true,
true,--she's a gun woman! Oh, Tharon, Tharon!" and he did not know he
spoke her name beneath his breath.

But other things were crowding forward--he was leaning forward telling
that circle of grim, lean faces, that if they could not handle this
thing