, 1917-12-20
CHAPTER XVII.


-RN~S $1,000 " Inv NGA "a
their dream. They parted late, each
trying to soften the blow as 1t fell on
the other, each protesting a courage
which, in the face of the revelation,
neither could clearly feel.
In the morning Jeffries brought
down to De Spain, who had spent a
sleepless night at the office, q letter
from Nan. -.... .-..I...a l
UttDe Spain opened 1t with acute mis-
givings. Hardly able to believe his
eyes. he slowly read:
Dearest-A wild hope has come to me.
Perhaps we don't know the truth of this
terrible story as II really is. Suppose we
should be condemning poor Uncle Duke
without having the real facts? Sassoon
was a wretch. Henry. If ever one lived
q curse to everyone. What purpose he
could serve by repeating this story, which
ne must have kept very secret till now, 1
don't know; but there was some reason.
I must know the whole trnth-I feel that
j, alone, can get hold of it, and that you
would approve what I am doing II you
were here with me in this little room.
where l am writing at daybreak. to show
you my heart.
Long before you get this I shall be
speeding toward the gap. I am going
to Uncle Duke to get from him the ex-
act truth. Uncle u is breaking-has
broken-and now that the very worst has
come. and we must face it, he will tell
me what I ask. Whether 1 can get him
to repeat this to you. to come to you. to
throw himself on your pity. my dearest
one. 1 don't know. But 1t is for this I
am going to try, and for this 1 beg of
your love-the love of which 1 have been
so proud!-that you will let me stay with
hin until I at least learn everything and
can bring the whole story to you. II 1
can bring him. I will. e
And I shall be safe with Unexpectedly
safe. Gale has been driven away. Pard-
aloe. I know i can trust, and ne win be
under the roof with me. Please. do not
try to come. to me. 1t might ruin every
thing. Only forgive me-. and 1 shall be
back with h l hope for. or what I
fear. very, very soon. Not till thon can
/ bear to look into your eyes. You have
a better right than anyone in the world
to know the whole truth, cost what 1t
may. Be patient for only a little while
with NAN,
1t was Jeffries who said, afterward.
he hoped never again to be the bearer
of a letter such as that. Never until
he had read and grasped the contents
Of Mans note had Jeffries seen the
bundle of resourc and nerve and
sinew, that men called Henry de
Spain, 60 to pieces, For once, trouble
overbore him.
When he was able to speak he told
Jeffries everything. at is my fault
he said hopelessly. 81 was SO crippled,
30 stunned, she must have thought
see 1t now-that 1 was making ready
to ride out by daybreak and shoot
Duke down on sight. It's the price a
man must pay, Jeffries, for the abil-
lily to defend himself against this
bunch Of holdup men and assassins.
Because they can't get me, I'm a gun
man
mo, you're not n 'gunman.'"
"a gunman and nothing else. That's
what everybody, friends and enemies,
reckon me-a gunman. You put me
here to clean put this Calabasas gang,
not because of my good looks, but
because I've been, so far, a fraction of
u second quicker on a trigger than
these double-d-d crooks"
Jeffries, from behind his pipe, re-
gaTded De SPANS random talk calmly.
do feel hard over my fathers
ieath," he went on moodily. "Who
wouldn't? II God meant me to forget
1t, why did he put this mark on my
iuSOI uVh4 L hlu III piCtlS EtiVhb "
Nan about 1t on Music mountain.
II did feel, for n long time, I'd like
to kill with my own hands the man
that murdered my father, JEFF. My
mother must nave realized that her
babe, If a man-child, was doomed to q
life Of bloodshed. I've been trying to
think most of the night what she'd
want me to do now. / don't know what
| can do, or can't do, when I set eyes
IN the old s%coundrel. He's got to tell
the truth-that's all 1 say now. If he
lies, after what he made my mother
suffer, he ought to die like a dog-no
matter who he is. .r....-a 1.t-f.u|
81 don't want to break Mans heart.
What can I do? Hanging him here In
Sleepy Cat, If 1 could do 1t, wouldn't
,elp her feelings a whole lot. II I
Sould see the fellow" De Spain's
hands, spread before him on the table,
drew up tight. 'If l could get my fin
gers on his throat, for a minute, and
talk to him, tell him what / think of
him-I might know what / would want
to do-Nan might be there to see and
Judge between US. I'd be almost will
Ing to leave things to her to settle her
self. l only want what's right. But"
the oath that recorded his closing
threat was collected and pitless. "if
any harm comes to that girl now from
this wild trip back among those wolves
God pity the men that put 1t over TIL
wipe out the whole accursed5 clan, II I
have to swing for 1t right here in
Sleepy Cati" ...i.g.L
John Lefever, Jeffries, Scott in turn
took him In hand to hold him during
three days, to restrain the fury of his
resentment, and keep him from riding