the rest."

"We all think that. Woman in particular is divine; woman in general
is--hell!"

"Ay, but this one--" He stopped and set his teeth.

"What has she done?"

"She--" he hesitated, and when he spoke again his voice did not
tremble; there was a deep hurt and wonder in it: "She double-crossed
me!"

"When? Do you mean to say you've met a woman tonight out here among
the willows?--Where--how----"

"Tex----!"

"Ay, Dan."

"It's--it's hell!"

"It is now. But you'll forget her! The mountains, the desert, and
above all, time--they'll cure you, my boy."

"Not in a whole century, Tex."

Calder waited curiously for the explanation. It came.

"Jest to think of her is like hearing music. Oh, God, Tex, what c'n I
do to fight agin this here cold feelin' at my heart?"

Dan slipped down beside the marshal and the latter dropped a
sympathetic hand over the lean, brown fingers. They returned the
pressure with a bone-crushing grip.

"Fight, Dan! It will make you forget her."

"Her skin is softer'n satin, Tex."

"Ay, but you'll never touch it again, Dan."

"Her eyes are deeper'n a pool at night an' her hair is all gold like
ripe corn."

"You'll never look into her eyes again, Dan, and you'll never touch
the gold of that hair."

"God!"

The word was hardly more than a whisper, but it brought Black Bart
leaping to his feet.

Dan spoke again: "Tex, I'm thankin' you for listenin' to me; I wanted
to talk. Bein' silent was burnin' me up. There's one thing more."

"Fire it out, lad."

"This evenin' I told you I hated no man but Jim Silent."

"Yes."

"An' now they's another of his gang. Sometime--when she's standin'
by--I'm goin' to take him by the throat till he don't breathe no more.
Then I'll throw him down in front of her an' ask her if she c'n kiss
the life back into his lips!"

Calder was actually shaking with excitement, but he was wise enough
not to speak.

"Tex!"

"Ay, lad."

"But when I've choked his damned life away----"

"Yes?"

"Ay, lad."

"There'll be five more that seen her shamin' me. Tex--all hell is
bustin' loose inside me!"

For a moment Calder watched, but that stare of cold hate mastered him.
He turned his head.

CHAPTER XV

THE CROSS ROADS

As Black Bart raced away in answer to Dan's whistle, Kate recovered
herself from the daze in which she stood and with a sob ran towards
the willows, calling the name of Dan, but Silent sprang after her, and
caught her by