rust ter my
own powers of hidin' out in a country whar I knows every trail an' every
creek bed, then ter take chances with a letter. Ef I wrote one hit would
carry a post-office mark on ther envellop ter tell every man whence hit
come."

She was too wise, too sympathetic, and too understanding of that clan
loyalty which would deny him peace until he fulfilled his obligation, to
offer arguments in dissuasion, but she stood with trouble riffles in her
deep eyes until at last she asked:

"When did ye aim ter start--over yon?"

"Hit ought ter be right soon now, while travellin's good. Come snowfall
hit'll git ter be right slavish journeyin'--but I don't 'low ter tarry
there long. I kain't noways be content away from ye."

The thoughts that were occupying Dorothy were for the most part silent
ones but at length she inquired:

"Why don't ye bring her back with ye, ter dwell hyar with us--her an'
ther baby?"

Thornton shook his head, but his heart warmed because she had asked.

"Hit wouldn't do--jest yit. Folks mout seek ter trace me by follerin'
her. I kin slip in thar an' see her, though, an' mebby comfort her some
small degree--an' then slip back home ergin without no man's knowin'
I've ever been thar."

Instinctively the wife shuddered.

"Ef they _did_ find out!" she exclaimed in a low voice, and the man
nodded in frank comprehension.

"Ef they did," he answered, candidly, "I reckon hit would be hangin' or
ther penitenshery fer me--but they hain't agoin' ter."

"I don't seek ter hinder ye none," she told him in a faltering voice,
"despite hit's goin' ter nigh kill me ter see ye go. Somehow hit seems
like I wouldn't be so skeered ef ye war guilty yoreself ... but ter hev
ye risk ther gallers fer somethin' ye didn't nuver do----"

The words choked her and she stopped short.

"I'm goin' ter hev a mouty strong reason fer seekin' ter come home
safe," he said, softly. "But even ef hit did cost me my life, I don't
see as I could fail a woman thet's my sister, an' thet's been facin' her
time amongst enemies, with a secret like thet hauntin' her day an'
night. I've got ter take ther chanst, honey."

A sound came to them through their preoccupation, and they looked up to
see Bas Rowlett crossing the stile.

His case-hardened hypocrisy stood valiantly by him, and his face
revealed nothing of the humiliation he must feel in playing out his
farcical role of friendship before the eyes of the man to whom it was so
tra