\"Uncle，herecomesNell，\"saidBo，softly。
\"Aw！\"Theoldcattle-manbreathedhardasheturned。
Helenhurried。Shehadnotexpectedtorememberthisuncle，butonelookintothebrown，beamingface，withtheblueeyesflashing，yetsad，andsherecognizedhim，atthesameinstantrecallinghermother。
Heheldouthisarmstoreceiveher。
\"NellAuchinclossalloveragain！\"heexclaimed，indeepvoice，ashekissedher。\"I\'dhaveknowedyouanywhere！\"
\"UncleAl！\"murmuredHelen。\"Irememberyou——thoughIwasonlyfour。\"
\"Wal，wal，——that\'sfine，\"hereplied。\"Irememberyoustraddledmykneeonce，an\'yourhairwasbrighter——an\'
curly。Itain\'tneithernow……Sixteenyears！An\'you\'retwentynow？Whatafine，broad-shoulderedgirlyouare！An\'，Nell，you\'rethehandsomestAuchinclossIeverseen！\"
Helenfoundherselfblushing，andwithdrewherhandsfromhisasRoysteppedforwardtopayhisrespects。Hestoodbareheaded，leanandtall，withneitherhiscleareyesnorhisstillface，northeprofferedhandexpressinganythingoftheprovenqualityoffidelity，ofachievement，thatHelensensedinhim。
\"Howdy，MissHelen？Howdy，Bo？\"hesaid。\"Youallbothlookfinean\'brown……IreckonIwasshoreslowrustlin\'
youruncleAluphere。ButIwasfiggerin\'you\'dlikeMilt\'scampforawhile。\"
\"Wesuredid，\"repliedBo，archly。
\"Aw！\"breathedAuchincloss，heavily。\"Lemmesetdown。\"
HedrewthegirlstotherusticseatDalehadbuiltforthemunderthebigpine。
\"Oh，youmustbetired！How——howareyou？\"askedHelen，anxiously。
\"Tired！Wal，ifIamit\'sjestthishereminit。WhenJoeBeemanrodeinonmewiththetnewsofyou——wal，IjestfergotIwasaworn-outoldhoss。Haven\'tfeltsogoodinyears。Mebbetwosuchyoungan\'prettynieceswillmakeanewmanofme。\"
\"UncleAl，youlookstrongandwelltome，\"saidBo。\"Andyoung，too，and——\"
\"Haw！Haw！Thet\'lldo，\"interruptedAl。\"Iseethroughyou。
Whatyou\'lldotoUncleAlwillbeaplenty……Yes，girls，I\'mfeelin\'fine。Butstrange——strange！Mebbethet\'smyjoyatseein\'yousafe——safewhenIfearedsothetdamnedgreaserBeasley——\"
InHelen\'sgravegazehisfacechangedswiftly——andalltheserriedyearsoftoilandbattleandprivationshowed，withsomethingthatwasnotage，norresignation，yetastragicasboth。
\"Wal，nevermindhim——now，\"headded，slowly，andthewarmerlightreturnedtohisface。\"Dale——comehere。\"
Thehuntersteppedcloser。
\"IreckonIoweyoumore\'nIcaneverpay，\"saidAuchincloss，withanarmaroundeachniece。
\"No，Al，youdon\'towemeanythin\'，\"returnedDale，thoughtfully，ashelookedaway。
\"A-huh！\"gruntedAl。\"Youhearhim，girls……Nowlisten，youwildhunter。An\'yougirlslisten……Milt，Ineverthoughtyoumuchgood，\'ceptforthewilds。ButIreckonI\'llhavetoswallowthet。Ido。Comin\'tomeasyoudid——
an\'afterbein\'druvoff——keepin\'yourcouncilan\'savin\'
mygirlsfromthethold-up，wal，it\'sthebiggestdealanymaneverdidforme……An\'I\'mashamedofmyhardfeelin\'s，an\'here\'smyhand。\"
\"Thanks，Al，\"repliedDale，withhisfleetingsmile，andhemettheprofferedhand。\"Now，willyoubemakin\'camphere？\"
\"Wal，no。I\'llrestalittle，an\'youcanpackthegirls\'
outfit——thenwe\'llgo。Sureyou\'regoin\'withus？\"
\"I\'llcallthegirlstobreakfast，\"repliedDale，andhemovedawaywithoutansweringAuchincloss\'squery。
HelendivinedthatDaledidnotmeantogodowntoPinewiththem，andtheknowledgegaveherablankfeelingofsurprise。Hadsheexpectedhimtogo？
\"Comehere，Jeff，\"calledAl，tooneofhismen。
Ashort，bow-leggedhorsemanwithdustygarbandsun-bleachedfacehobbledforthfromthegroup。Hewasnotyoung，buthehadaboyishgrinandbrightlittleeyes。
Awkwardlyhedoffedhisslouchsombrero。
\"Jeff，shakehandswithmynieces，\"saidAl。\"This\'sHelen，an\'yourbossfromnowon。An\'this\'sBo，fershort。HernamewasNancy，butwhenshelayababyinhercradleI
calledherBo-Peep，an\'thename\'sstuck……Girls，thishere\'smyforeman，JeffMulvey，who\'sbeenwithmetwentyyears。\"
Theintroductioncausedembarrassmenttoallthreeprincipals，particularlytoJeff。
\"Jeff，throwthepacksan\'saddlesferarest，\"wasAl\'sordertohisforeman。
\"Nell，reckonyou\'llhavefunbossin\'thetoutfit，\"chuckledAl。\"Noneof\'em\'sgotawife。Lotofscalawagstheyare；nowomenwouldhavethem！\"
\"Uncle，IhopeI\'llneverhavetobetheirboss，\"repliedHelen。
\"Wal，you\'regoin\'tobe，rightoff，\"declaredAl。\"Theyain\'tabadlot，afterall。An\'Igotalikelynewman。\"
WiththatheturnedtoBo，and，afterstudyingherprettyface，heasked，inapparentlyseveretone，\"DidyousendacowboynamedCarmichaeltoaskmeforajob？\"
Bolookedquitestartled。
\"Carmichael！Why，Uncle，Ineverheardthatnamebefore，\"
repliedBo，bewilderedly。
\"A-huh！Reckonedtheyoungrascalwaslyin\'，\"saidAuchincloss。\"ButIlikedthefellar\'slooksan\'solethimstay。\"
Thentherancherturnedtothegroupofloungingriders。
\"LasVegas，comehere，\"heordered，inaloudvoice。
Helenthrilledatsightofatall，superblybuiltcowboyreluctantlydetachinghimselffromthegroup。Hehadared-bronzeface，younglikeaboy\'s。Helenrecognizedit，andtheflowingredscarf，andtheswinginggun，andtheslow，spur-clinkinggait。NootherthanBo\'sLasVegascowboyadmirer！
ThenHelenflashedalookatBo，whichlookgaveheradelicious，almostirresistibledesiretolaugh。Thatyoungladyalsorecognizedthereluctantindividualapproachingwithflushedanddowncastface。HelenrecordedherfirstexperienceofBo\'sutterdiscomfiture。Boturnedwhitethenredasarose。
\"Say，myniecesaidsheneverheardofthenameCarmichael，\"
declaredAl，severely，asthecowboyhaltedbeforehim。
Helenknewherunclehadthereputeofdealinghardwithhismen，buthereshewasreassuredandpleasedatthetwinkleinhiseye。
\"Shore，boss，Ican\'thelpthet，\"drawledthecowboy。\"It\'sgoodoldTexasstock。\"
Hedidnotappearshamefacednow，butjustascool，easy，clear-eyed，andlazyasthedayHelenhadlikedhiswarmyoungfaceandintentgaze。
\"Texas！YoufellarsfromthePanHandlearealwayshollerin\'
Texas。IneverseenthetTexanshadanyoneelsebeat——sayfromMissouri，\"returnedAl，testily。
Carmichaelmaintainedadiscreetsilence，andcarefullyavoidedlookingatthegirls。
\"Wal，reckonwe\'llallcallyouLasVegas，anyway，\"
continuedtherancher。\"Didn\'tyousaymyniecesentyoutomeforajob？\"
WhereuponCarmichael\'seasymannervanished。
\"Now，boss，shoremymemory\'spore，\"hesaid。\"Ionlysays——\"
\"Don\'ttellmethet。Mymemory\'snotp-o-r-e，\"repliedAl，mimickingthedrawl。\"Whatyousaidwasthetmyniecewouldspeakagoodwordforyou。\"
HereCarmichaelstoleatimidglanceatBo，theresultofwhichwastorenderhimutterlycrestfallen。NotimprobablyhehadtakenBo\'sexpressiontomeansomethingitdidnot，forHelenreaditasaminglingofconsternationandfright。
Hereyeswerebigandblazing；aredspotwasgrowingineachcheekasshegatheredstrengthfromhisconfusion。
\"Well，didn\'tyou？\"demandedAl。
FromtheglancetheoldranchershotfromthecowboytotheothersofhisemployitseemedtoHelenthattheywerehavingfunatCarmichael\'sexpense。
\"Yes，sir，Idid，\"suddenlyrepliedthecowboy。
\"A-huh！Allright，here\'smyniece。Nowseethetshespeaksthegoodword。\"
CarmichaellookedatBoandBolookedathim。Theirglanceswerestrange，wondering，andtheygrewshy。Bodroppedhers。
Thecowboyapparentlyforgotwhathadbeendemandedofhim。
Helenputahandontheoldrancher\'sarm。
\"Uncle，whathappenedwasmyfault，\"shesaid。\"ThetrainstoppedatLasVegas。Thisyoungmansawusattheopenwindow。Hemusthaveguessedwewerelonely，homesickgirls，gettinglostintheWest。Forhespoketous——niceandfriendly。Heknewofyou。Andheasked，inwhatItookforfun，ifwethoughtyouwouldgivehimajob。AndIreplied，justtoteaseBo，thatshewouldsurelyspeakagoodwordforhim。\"
\"Haw！Haw！Sothet\'sit，\"repliedAl，andheturnedtoBowithmerryeyes。\"Wal，IkeptthishereLasVegasCarmichaelonhissay-so。Comeonwithyourgoodword，unlessyouwanttoseehimlosehisjob。\"
Bodidnotgraspheruncle\'sbantering，becauseshewasseriouslygazingatthecowboy。Butshehadgraspedsomething。
\"He——hewasthefirstperson——outWest——tospeakkindlytous，\"shesaid，facingheruncle。
\"Wal，thet\'saprettygoodword，butitain\'tenough，\"
respondedAl。
Subduedlaughtercamefromthelisteninggroup。Carmichaelshiftedfromsidetoside。
\"He——helooksasifhemightrideahorsewell，\"venturedBo。
\"BesthossmanIeverseen，\"agreedAl，heartily。
\"And——andshoot？\"addedBo，hopefully。
\"Bo，hepacksthetgunlow，likeJimWilsonan\'allthemTexasgun-fighters。Reckonthetain\'tnogoodword。\"
\"Then——I\'llvouchforhim，\"saidBo，withfinality。
\"Thetsettlesit。\"Auchinclossturnedtothecowboy。\"LasVegas，you\'reastrangertous。Butyou\'rewelcometoaplaceintheoutfitan\'Ihopeyouwon\'tneverdisappointus。\"
Auchincloss\'stone，passingfromjesttoearnest，betrayedtoHelentheoldrancher\'sneedofnewandtruemen，andhintedoftryingdaystocome。
CarmichaelstoodbeforeBo，sombreroinhand，rollingitroundandround，manifestlyburstingwithwordshecouldnotspeak。Andthegirllookedveryyoungandsweetwithherflushedfaceandshiningeyes。Helensawinthemomentmorethanthatlittleby-playofconfusion。
\"Miss——MissRayner——Ishore——amobliged，\"hestammered，presently。
\"You\'reverywelcome，\"shereplied，softly。\"I——Igotonthenexttrain，\"headded。
WhenhesaidthatBowaslookingstraightathim，butsheseemednottohaveheard。
\"What\'syourname？\"suddenlysheasked。
\"Carmichael。\"
\"Iheardthat。Butdidn\'tunclecallyouLasVegas？\"
\"Shore。Butitwasn\'tmyfault。Thetcow-punchin\'outfitsaddleditonme，rightoff。TheyDon\'tknownobetter。
ShoreIjestwon\'tanswertothethandle……Now——MissBo——myrealnameisTom。\"
\"Isimplycouldnotcallyou——anynamebutLasVegas，\"
repliedBo，verysweetly。
\"But——beggin\'yourpardon——I——Idon\'tlikethet，\"
blusteredCarmichael。
\"Peopleoftengetcallednames——theydon\'tlike，\"shesaid，withdeepintent。
Thecowboyblushedscarlet。HelenaswellashegotBo\'sinferencetothatlastaudaciousepithethehadboldlycalledoutasthetrainwasleavingLasVegas。ShealsosensedsomethingofthedisasterinstoreforMr。
Carmichael。JustthentheembarrassedyoungmanwassavedbyDale\'scalltothegirlstocometobreakfast。
Thatmeal，thelastforHeleninParadisePark，gaverisetoastrangeandinexplicablerestraint。Shehadlittletosay。
Bowasinthehighestspirits，teasingthepets，jokingwithheruncleandRoy，andevenpokingfunatDale。Thehunterseemedsomewhatsomber。Roywashisusualdry，genialself。
AndAuchincloss，whosatnearby，wasaninterestedspectator。WhenTomputinanappearance，loungingwithhisfelinegraceintothecamp，asifheknewhewasaprivilegedpet，theranchercouldscarcelycontainhimself。
\"Dale，it\'sthetdamncougar！\"heejaculated。
\"Sure，that\'sTom。\"
\"Heoughttobecorralledorchained。I\'venouseforcougars，\"protestedAl。
\"Tomisastamean\'safeasakitten。\"
\"A-huh！Wal，youtellthettothegirlsifyoulike。Butnotme！I\'manoldhoss，Iam。\"
\"UncleAl，Tomsleepscurledupatthefootofmybed，\"saidBo。
\"Aw——what？\"
\"HonestInjun，\"sheresponded。\"Well，isn\'titso？\"
Helensmilinglynoddedhercorroboration。ThenBocalledTomtoherandmadehimliewithhisheadonhisstretchedpaws，rightbesideher，andbegforbitstoeat。
\"Wal！I\'dneverhavebelievedthet！\"exclaimedAl，shakinghisbighead。\"Dale，it\'soneonme。I\'vehadthembigcatsfollermeonthetrails，throughthewoods，moonlightan\'
dark。An\'I\'veheard\'emletoutthetawfulcry。Theyain\'tanywildsoundonearththetcanbeatacougar\'s。DoesthisTomeverletoutoneofthemwails？\"
\"Sometimesatnight，\"repliedDale。
\"Wal，excuseme。Hopeyoudon\'tfetchtheyallerrascaldowntoPine。\"
\"Iwon\'t。\"
\"What\'llyoudowiththismenagerie？\"
Daleregardedtherancherattentively。\"Reckon，Al，I\'lltakecareofthem。\"
\"Butyou\'regoin\'downtomyranch。\"
\"Whatfor？\"
Alscratchedhisheadandgazedperplexedlyatthehunter。
\"Wal，ain\'titcustomarytovisitfriends？\"
\"Thanks，Al。NexttimeIridedownPineway——inthespring，perhaps——I\'llrunoveran\'seehowyouare。\"
\"Spring！\"ejaculatedAuchincloss。Thenheshookhisheadsadlyandafar-awaylookfilmedhiseyes。\"Reckonyou\'dcallsomelate。\"
\"Al，you\'llgetwellnow。These，girls——now——they\'llcureyou。ReckonIneversawyoulooksogood。\"
Auchinclossdidnotpresshispointfartheratthattime，butafterthemeal，whentheothermencametoseeDale\'scampandpets，Helen\'squickearscaughttherenewalofthesubject。
\"I\'maskin\'you——willyoucome？\"Auchinclosssaid，lowandeagerly。
\"No。Iwouldn\'tfitindownthere，\"repliedDale。
\"Milt，talksense。Youcan\'tgoonforeverhuntin\'bearan\'
tamin\'cats，\"protestedtheoldrancher。
\"Whynot？\"askedthehunter，thoughtfully。
Auchinclossstoodupand，shakinghimselfasiftowardoffhistestytemper，heputahandonDale\'sarm。
\"Onereasonisyou\'reneededinPine。\"
\"How？Whoneedsme？\"
\"Ido。I\'mplayin\'outfast。An\'Beasley\'smyenemy。Theranchan\'allIgotwillgotoNell。Thetranchwillhavetoberunbyamanan\'HELDbyaman。Doyousavvy？It\'sabigjob。An\'I\'mofferin\'tomakeyoumyforemanrightnow。\"
\"Al，yousortoftakemybreath，\"repliedDale。\"An\'I\'msuregrateful。Butthefactis，evenifIcouldhandlethejob，I——Idon\'tbelieveI\'dwantto。\"
\"Makeyourselfwantto，then。Thet\'dsooncome。You\'dgetinterested。Thiscountrywilldevelop。Iseenthetyearsago。Thegovernmentisgoin\'tochasetheApachesoutofhere。Soonhomesteaderswillbeflockin\'in。Bigfuture，Dale。Youwanttogetinnow。An\'——\"
HereAuchinclosshesitated，thenspokelower：
\"An\'takeyourchancewiththegirl！……I\'llbeonyourside。\"
AslightvibratingstartranoverDale\'sstalwartform。
\"Al——you\'replumbdotty！\"heexclaimed。
\"Dotty！Me？Dotty！\"ejaculatedAuchincloss。Thenheswore。
\"InaminitI\'lltellyouwhatyouare。\"
\"But，Al，thattalk\'sso——so——likeanoldfool\'s。\"
\"Huh！An\'whyso？\"
\"Becausethat——wonderfulgirlwouldneverlookatme，\"
Dalereplied，simply。
\"Iseenherlookin\'already，\"declaredAl，bluntly。
Daleshookhisheadasifarguingwiththeoldrancherwashopeless。
\"Nevermindthet，\"wentonAl。\"MebbeIamadottyoldfool——\'speciallyfortakin\'ashinetoyou。ButIsayagain——
willyoucomedowntoPineandbemyforeman？\"
\"No，\"repliedDale。
\"Milt，I\'venoson——an\'I\'m——afraidofBeasley。\"Thiswasutteredinanagitatedwhisper。
\"Al，youmakemeashamed，\"saidDale，hoarsely。\"Ican\'tcome。I\'venonerve。\"
\"You\'venowhat？\"
\"Al，Idon\'tknowwhat\'swrongwithme。ButI\'mafraidI\'dfindoutifIcamedownthere。\"
\"A-huh！It\'sthegirl！\"
\"Idon\'tknow，butI\'mafraidso。An\'Iwon\'tcome。\"
\"Awyes，youwill——\"
Helenrosewithbeatingheartandtinglingears，andmovedawayoutofhearing。Shehadlistenedtoolongtowhathadnotbeenintendedforherears，yetshecouldnotbesorry。
Shewalkedafewrodsalongthebrook，outfromunderthepines，and，standingintheopenedgeofthepark，shefeltthebeautifulscenestillheragitation。Thefollowingmoments，then，werethehappiestshehadspentinParadisePark，andtheprofoundestofherwholelife。
Presentlyherunclecalledher。
\"Nell，thisherehunterwantstogiveyouthetblackhoss。
An\'Isayyoutakehim。\"
\"RangerdeservesbettercarethanIcangivehim，\"saidDale。\"Herunsfreeinthewoodsmostofthetime。I\'dbeobligedifshe\'dhavehim。An\'thehound，Pedro，too。\"
BosweptasaucyglancefromDaletohersister。
\"Sureshe\'llhaveRanger。JustofferhimtoME！\"
Dalestoodthereexpectantly，holdingablanketinhishand，readytosaddlethehorse。CarmichaelwalkedaroundRangerwiththatappraisingeyesokeenincowboys。
\"LasVegas，doyouknowanythingabouthorses？\"askedBo。
\"Me！Wal，ifyoueverbuyortradeahossyoushorehavemethere，\"repliedCarmichael。
\"WhatdoyouthinkofRanger？\"wentonBo。
\"ShoreI\'dbuyhimsudden，ifIcould。\"
\"Mr。LasVegas，you\'retoolate，\"assertedHelen，assheadvancedtolayahandonthehorse。
\"Rangerismine。\"
Dalesmoothedouttheblanketand，foldingit，hethrewitoverthehorse；andthenwithonepowerfulswinghesetthesaddleinplace。
\"Thankyouverymuchforhim，\"saidHelen，softly。
\"You\'rewelcome，an\'I\'msureglad，\"respondedDale，andthen，afterafewdeft，strongpullsatthestraps，hecontinued。\"There，he\'sreadyforyou。\"
Withthathelaidanarmoverthesaddle，andfacedHelenasshestoodpattingandsmoothingRanger。Helen，strongandcalmnow，infemininepossessionofhersecretandhis，aswellashercomposure，lookedfranklyandsteadilyatDale。
Heseemedcomposed，too，yetthebronzeofhisfinefacewasatriflepale。
\"ButIcan\'tthankyou——I\'llneverbeabletorepayyou——
foryourservicetomeandmysister，\"saidHelen。
\"Ireckonyouneedn\'ttry，\"Dalereturned。\"An\'myservice，asyoucallit，hasbeengoodforme。\"
\"AreyougoingdowntoPinewithus？\"
\"No。\"
\"Butyouwillcomesoon？\"
\"Notverysoon，Ireckon，\"hereplied，andavertedhisgaze。
\"When？\"
\"Hardlybeforespring。\"
\"Spring？……Thatisalongtime。Won\'tyoucometoseemesoonerthanthat？\"
\"IfIcangetdowntoPine。\"
\"You\'rethefirstfriendI\'vemadeintheWest，\"saidHelen，earnestly。
\"You\'llmakemanymore——an\'Ireckonsoonforgethimyoucalledthemanoftheforest。\"
\"Ineverforgetanyofmyfriends。Andyou\'vebeenthe——
thebiggestfriendIeverhad。\"
\"I\'llbeproudtoremember。\"
\"Butwillyouremember——willyoupromisetocometoPine？\"
\"Ireckon。\"
\"Thankyou。All\'swell，then……Myfriend，goodby。\"
\"Good-by，\"hesaid，claspingherhand。Hisglancewasclear，warm，beautiful，yetitwassad。
Auchincloss\'sheartyvoicebrokethespell。ThenHelensawthattheothersweremounted。Bohadriddenupclose；herfacewasearnestandhappyandgrievedallatonce，asshebadegood-bytoDale。Thepack-burroswerehobblingalongtowardthegreenslope。Helenwasthelasttomount，butRoywasthelasttoleavethehunter。Pedrocamereluctantly。
Itwasamerry，singingtrainwhichclimbedthatbrownodoroustrail，underthedarkspruces。Helenassuredlywashappy，yetapangabidedinherbreast。
Sherememberedthathalf-wayuptheslopetherewasaturninthetrailwhereitcameoutuponanopenbluff。Thetimeseemedlong，butatlastshegotthere。AndshecheckedRangersoastohaveamoment\'sgazedownintothepark。
Ityawnedthere，adark-greenandbright-goldgulf，asleepunderawesteringsun，exquisite，wild，lonesome。ThenshesawDalestandingintheopenspacebetweenthepinesandthespruces。Hewavedtoher。Andshereturnedthesalute。
Roycaughtupwithherthenandhaltedhishorse。HewavedhissombrerotoDaleandletoutapiercingyellthatawokethesleepingechoes，splittingstrangelyfromclifftocliff。
\"ShoreMiltneverknowedwhatitwastobelonesome，\"saidRoy，asifthinkingaloud。\"Buthe\'llknownow。\"
Rangersteppedoutofhisownaccordand，turningofftheledge，enteredthespruceforest。HelenlostsightofParadisePark。Forhoursthensherodealongashady，fragranttrail，seeingthebeautyofcolorandwildness，hearingthemurmurandrushandroarofwater，butallthewhilehermindrevolvedthesweetandmomentousrealizationwhichhadthrilledher——thatthehunter，thisstrangemanoftheforest，sodeeplyversedinnatureandsounfamiliarwithemotion，aloofandsimpleandstrongliketheelementswhichhaddevelopedhim，hadfalleninlovewithheranddidnotknowit。
CHAPTERXV
Dalestoodwithfaceandarmupraised，andhewatchedHelenrideofftheledgetodisappearintheforest。Thatvastspruceslopeseemedtohaveswallowedher。Shewasgone！
SlowlyDaleloweredhisarmwithgestureexpressiveofastrangefinality，aneloquentdespair，ofwhichhewasunconscious。
Heturnedtothepark，tohiscamp，andthemanydutiesofahunter。Theparkdidnotseemthesame，norhishome，norhiswork。
\"Ireckonthisfeelin\'snatural，\"hesoliloquized，resignedly，\"butit\'ssurequeerforme。That\'swhatcomesofmakin\'friends。Nellan\'Bo，now，theymadeadifference，an\'adifferenceIneverknewbefore。\"
Hecalculatedthatthisdifferencehadbeensimplyoneofresponsibility，andthenthecharmandlivelinessofthecompanionshipofgirls，andfinallyfriendship。Thesewouldpassnowthatthecauseswereremoved。
Beforehehadworkedanhouraroundcampherealizedachangehadcome，butitwasnottheoneanticipated。Alwaysbeforehehadputhismindonhistasks，whatevertheymightbe；nowheworkedwhilehisthoughtswerestrangelyinvolved。
Thelittlebearcubwhinedathisheels；thetamedeerseemedtoregardhimwithdeep，questioningeyes，thebigcougarpaddedsoftlyhereandthereasifsearchingforsomething。
\"Youallmissthem——now——Ireckon，\"saidDale。\"Well，they\'regonean\'you\'llhavetogetalongwithme。\"
Somevagueapproachtoirritationwithhispetssurprisedhim。Presentlyhegrewbothirritatedandsurprisedwithhimself——astateofmindtotallyunfamiliar。Severaltimes，asoldhabitbroughtmomentaryabstraction，hefoundhimselfsuddenlylookingaroundforHelenandBo。Andeachtimetheshockgrewstronger。Theyweregone，buttheirpresencelingered。Afterhiscampchoreswerecompletedhewentovertopulldownthelean-towhichthegirlshadutilizedasatent。Thespruceboughshaddriedoutbrownandsear；thewindhadblowntheroofawry；thesideswereleaningin。Astherewasnownofurtheruseforthislittlehabitation，hemightbetterpullitdown。Daledidnotacknowledgethathisgazehadinvoluntarilywanderedtowarditmanytimes。Thereforehestrodeoverwiththeintentionofdestroyingit。
ForthefirsttimesinceRoyandhehadbuiltthelean-tohesteppedinside。Nothingwasmorecertainthanthefactthatheexperiencedastrangesensation，perfectlyincomprehensibletohim。Theblanketslaythereonthespruceboughs，disarrangedandthrownbackbyhurriedhands，yetstillholdingsomethingofroundfoldswheretheslenderformshadnestled。AblackscarfoftenwornbyBolaycoveringthepillowofpine-needles；aredribbonthatHelenhadwornonherhairhungfromatwig。Thesearticleswereallthathadbeenforgotten。Dalegazedatthemattentively，thenattheblankets，andallaroundthefragrantlittleshelter；andhesteppedoutsidewithanuncomfortableknowledgethathecouldnotdestroytheplacewhereHelenandBohadspentsomanyhours。
Whereupon，instudiousmood，Daletookuphisrifleandstrodeouttohunt。Hiswintersupplyofvenisonhadnotyetbeenlaidin。Actionsuitedhismood；heclimbedfarandpassedbymanyawatchingbucktoslaywhichseemedmurder；
atlasthejumpedonethatwaswildandboundedaway。Thisheshot，andsethimselfaHerculeantaskinpackingthewholecarcassbacktocamp。Burdenedthus，bestaggeredunderthetrees，sweatingfreely，manytimeslaboringforbreath，achingwithtoil，untilatlasthehadreachedcamp。
Thereheslidthedeercarcassoffhisshoulders，and，standingoverit，hegazeddownwhilehisbreastlabored。Itwasoneofthefinestyoungbuckshehadeverseen。Butneitherinstalkingit，normakingawonderfulshot，norinpackinghomeaweightthatwouldhaveburdenedtwomen，noringazingdownathisbeautifulquarry，didDaleexperienceanyoftheoldjoyofthehunter。
\"I\'malittleoffmyfeed，\"hemused，ashewipedsweatfromhisheatedface。\"Maybealittledotty，asIcalledAl。Butthat\'llpass。\"
Whateverhisstate，itdidnotpass。Asofold，afteralongday\'shunt，hereclinedbesidethecamp-fireandwatchedthegoldensunsetglowschangeontheramparts；asofoldhelaidahandonthesoft，furryheadofthepetcougar；asofoldhewatchedthegoldchangetoredandthentodark，andtwilightfalllikeablanket；asofoldhelistenedtothedreamy，lullingmurmurofthewaterfall。Theoldfamiliarbeauty，wildness，silence，andlonelinesswerethere，buttheoldcontentseemedstrangelygone。
Soberlyheconfessedthenthathemissedthehappycompanyofthegirls。HedidnotdistinguishHelenfromBoinhisslowintrospection。Whenhesoughthisbedhedidnotatoncefalltosleep。Always，afterafewmomentsofwakefulness，whilethesilencesettleddownorthewindmoanedthroughthepines，hehadfallenasleep。Thisnighthefounddifferent。Thoughhewastired，sleepwouldnotsooncome。Thewilderness，themountains，thepark，thecamp——allseemedtohavelostsomething。Eventhedarknessseemedempty。AndwhenatlengthDalefellasleepitwastobetroubledbyrestlessdreams。
Upwiththekeen-edged，steely-brightdawn，hewentatthehistaskswiththespringystrideofthedeer-stalker。
Attheendofthatstrenuousday，whichwassingularlyfulloftheoldexcitementandactionanddanger，andofnewobservations，hewasboundtoconfessthatnolongerdidthechasesufficeforhim。
Manytimesontheheightsthatday，withthewindkeeninhisface，andthevastgreenbillowsofsprucebelowhim，hehadfoundthatbewasgazingwithoutseeing，haltingwithoutobject，dreamingashehadneverdreamedbefore。
Once，whenamagnificentelkcameoutuponarockyridgeand，whistlingachallengetoinvisiblerivals，stoodthereatargettostiranyhunter\'spulse，Daledidnotevenraisehisrifle。IntohisearjustthenrangHelen\'svoice：\"MiltDale，youarenoIndian。Givingyourselftoahunter\'swildlifeisselfish。Itiswrong。Youlovethislonelylife，butitisnotwork。Workthatdoesnothelpothersisnotarealman\'swork。\"
Fromthatmomentconsciencetormentedhim。Itwasnotwhatheloved，butwhatheoughttodo，thatcountedinthesumofgoodachievedintheworld。OldAlAuchinclosshadbeenright。DalewaswastingstrengthandintelligencethatshouldgotodohisshareinthedevelopmentoftheWest。
Nowthathehadreachedmaturity，ifthroughhisknowledgeofnature\'slawhehadcometoseethemeaningofthestrifeofmenforexistence，forplace，forpossession，andtoholdthemincontempt，thatwasnoreasonwhyheshouldkeephimselfalooffromthem，fromsomeworkthatwasneededinanincomprehensibleworld。
Daledidnothatework，buthelovedfreedom。Tobealone，tolivewithnature，tofeeltheelements，tolaboranddreamandidleandclimbandsleepunhamperedbyduty，byworry，byrestriction，bythepettyinterestsofmen——thishadalwaysbeenhisidealofliving。Cowboys，riders，sheep-herders，farmers——thesetoiledonfromoneplaceandonejobtoanotherforthelittlemoneydoledouttothem。
Nothingbeautiful，nothingsignificanthadeverexistedinthatforhim。Hehadworkedasaboyateverykindofrange-work，andofallthathumdrumwasteofefforthehadlikedsawingwoodbest。Oncehehadquitajobofbrandingcattlebecausethesmellofburninghide，thebawloftheterrifiedcalf，hadsickenedhim。Ifmenwerehonesttherewouldbenoneedtoscarcattle。Hehadneverintheleastdesiredtoownlandanddrovesofstock，andmakedealswithranchmen，dealsadvantageoustohimself。Whyshouldamanwanttomakeadealortradeahorseordoapieceofworktoanotherman\'sdisadvantage？Self-preservationwasthefirstlawoflife。Butastheplantsandtreesandbirdsandbeastsinterpretedthatlaw，mercilessandinevitableastheywere，theyhadneithergreednordishonesty。Theylivedbythegrandruleofwhatwasbestforthegreatestnumber。
ButDale\'sphilosophy，coldandclearandinevitable，likenatureitself，begantobepiercedbythehumanappealinHelenRayner\'swords。Whatdidshemean？Notthatheshouldlosehisloveofthewilderness，butthatherealizehimself！Manychancewordsofthatgirlhaddepth。Hewasyoung，strong，intelligent，freefromtaintofdiseaseorthefeverofdrink。Hecoulddosomethingforothers。Who？
Ifthatmattered，there，forinstance，waspooroldMrs。
Cass，agedandlamenow；therewasAlAuchincloss，dyinginhisboots，afraidofenemies，andwistfulforhisbloodandhispropertytoreceivethefruitofhislabors；therewerethetwogirls，HelenandBo，newandstrangetotheWest，abouttobeconfrontedbyabigproblemofranchlifeandrivalinterests。DalethoughtofstillmorepeopleinthelittlevillageofPine——ofotherswhohadfailed，whoseliveswerehard，whocouldhavebeenmadehappierbykindnessandassistance。
What，then，wasthedutyofMiltDaletohimself？Becausemenpreyedononeanotherandontheweak，shouldheturnhisbackuponaso-calledcivilizationorshouldhegrowlikethem？Clearasabellcametheanswerthathisdutywastodoneither。AndthenhesawhowthelittlevillageofPine，aswellasthewholeworld，neededmenlikehim。Hehadgonetonature，totheforest，tothewildernessforhisdevelopment；andallthejudgmentsandeffortsofhisfuturewouldbearesultofthateducation。
ThusDale，lyinginthedarknessandsilenceofhislonelypark，arrivedataconclusionthathedivinedwasbutthebeginningofastruggle。
Ittooklongintrospectiontodeterminetheexactnatureofthatstruggle，butatlengthitevolvedintotheparadoxthatHelenRaynerhadopenedhiseyestohisdutyasaman，thatheacceptedit，yetfoundastrangeobstacleintheperplexing，tumultuous，sweetfearofevergoingnearheragain。
Suddenly，then，allhisthoughtrevolvedaroundthegirl，and，thrownoffhisbalance，hewelteredinawildernessofunfamiliarstrangeideas。
Whenheawokenextdaythefightwasoninearnest。Inhissleephismindhadbeenactive。Theideathatgreetedhim，beautifulasthesunrise，flashedinmemoryofAuchincloss\'ssignificantwords，\"Takeyourchancewiththegirl！\"
Theoldrancherwasinhisdotage。Hehintedofthingsbeyondtherangeofpossibility。ThatideaofachanceforDaleremainedbeforehisconsciousnessonlyaninstant。
Starswereunattainable；lifecouldnotbefathomed；thesecretofnaturedidnotabidealoneontheearth——thesetheorieswerenotanymoreimpossibleofprovingthanthatHelenRaynermightbeforhim。
Nevertheless，herstrangecomingintohislifehadplayedhavoc，theextentofwhichhehadonlybeguntorealize。
Foramonthhetrampedthroughtheforest。ItwasOctober，astillgolden，fulfillingseasonoftheyear；andeverywhereinthevastdarkgreenagloriousblazeofoakandaspenmadebeautifulcontrast。Hecarriedhisrifle，butheneverusedit。Hewouldclimbmilesandgothiswayandthatwithnoobjectinview。Yethiseyeandearhadneverbeenkeener。Hourshewouldspendonapromontory，watching。thedistance，wherethegoldenpatchesofaspenshonebrightoutofdark-greenmountainslopes。Helovedtoflinghimselfdowninanaspen-groveattheedgeofasenaca，andtherelieinthatradiancelikeaveilofgoldandpurpleandred，withthewhitetree-trunksstripingtheshade。Always，whethertherewerebreezeornot，theaspen-leavesquivered，ceaselessly，wonderfully，likehispulses，beyondhiscontrol。Oftenhereclinedagainstamossyrockbesideamountainstreamtolisten，towatch，tofeelallthatwasthere，whilehismindheldahaunting，dark-eyedvisionofagirl。Onthelonelyheights，likeaneagle，hesatgazingdownintoParadisePark，thatwasmoreandmorebeautiful，butwouldneveragainbethesame，neverfillhimwithcontent，neverbeallandalltohim。
LateinOctoberthefirstsnowfell。Itmeltedatonceonthesouthsideofthepark，butthenorthslopesandtherimsanddomesabovestayedwhite。
Dalehadworkedquickandhardatcuringandstoringhiswintersupplyoffood，andnowhespentdayschoppingandsplittingwoodtoburnduringthemonthshewouldbesnowed-in。Hewatchedforthedark-gray，fast-scuddingstorm-clouds，andwelcomedthemwhentheycame。Oncetherelaytenfeetofsnowonthetrailshewouldbesnowed-inuntilspring。ItwouldbeimpossibletogodowntoPine。Andperhapsduringthelongwinterhewouldbecuredofthisstrange，namelessdisorderofhisfeelings。
Novemberbroughtstormsuponthepeaks。Flurriesofsnowfellintheparkeveryday，butthesunnysouthside，whereDale\'scamplay，retaineditsautumnalcolorandwarmth。Nottilllateinwinterdidthesnowcreepoverthissecludednook。
Themorningcameatlast，piercinglykeenandbright，whenDalesawthattheheightswereimpassable；therealizationbroughthimapoignantregret。HehadnotguessedhowhehadwantedtoseeHelenRayneragainuntilitwastoolate。Thatopenedhiseyes。Aragingfrenzyofactionfollowed，inwhichheonlytiredhimselfphysicallywithouthelpinghimselfspiritually。
Itwassunsetwhenhefacedthewest，lookingupatthepinksnow-domesandthedark-goldenfringeofspruce，andinthatmomenthefoundthetruth。
\"Ilovethatgirl！Ilovethatgirl！\"hespokealoud，tothedistantwhitepeaks，tothewinds，tothelonelinessandsilenceofhisprison，tothegreatpinesandtothemurmuringstream，andtohisfaithfulpets。Itwashistragicconfessionofweakness，ofamazingtruth，ofhopelessposition，ofpitifulexcuseforthetransformationwroughtinhim。
Dale\'sstruggleendedtherewhenhefacedhissoul。Tounderstandhimselfwastobereleasedfromstrain，worry，ceaselessimportuningdoubtandwonderandfear。Butthefeverofunrest，ofuncertainty，hadbeennothingcomparedtoasuddenupflashingtormentoflove。
Withsomberdeliberationhesetaboutthetasksneedful，andothersthathemightmake——hiscamp-firesandmeals，thecareofhispetsandhorses，themendingofsaddlesandpack-harness，thecuringofbuckskinformoccasinsandhunting-suits。Sohisdayswerenotidle。Butallthisworkwashabitforhimandneedednoapplicationofmind。
AndDale，likesomemenoflonelywildernessliveswhodidnotretrogradetowardthesavage，wasathinker。Lovemadehimasufferer。
Thesurpriseandshameofhisunconscioussurrender，thecertainhopelessnessofit，thelongyearsofcommunionwithallthatwaswild，lonely，andbeautiful，thewonderfullydevelopedinsightintonature\'ssecrets，andthesudden-dawningrevelationthathewasnoomniscientbeingexemptfromtheruthlessordinarydestinyofman——alltheseshowedhimthestrengthofhismanhoodandofhispassion，andthatthelifehehadchosenwasofalllivestheonecalculatedtomakelovesadandterrible。
HelenRaynerhauntedhim。Inthesunlighttherewasnotaplacearoundcampwhichdidnotpictureherlithe，vigorousbody，herdark，thoughtfuleyes，hereloquent，resolutelips，andthesmilethatwassosweetandstrong。Atnightshewastherelikeaslenderspecter，pacingbesidehimunderthemoaningpines。Everycamp-fireheldinitshearttheglowingwhiteradianceofherspirit。
NaturehadtaughtDaletolovesolitudeandsilence，butloveitselftaughthimtheirmeaning。Solitudehadbeencreatedfortheeagleonhiscrag，fortheblastedmountainfir，lonelyandgnarledonitspeak，fortheelkandthewolf。Butithadnotbeenintendedforman。Andtolivealwaysinthesilenceofwildplaceswastobecomeobsessedwithself——tothinkanddream——tobehappy，whichstate，howeverpursuedbyman，wasnotgoodforhim。Manmustbegivenimperiouslongingsfortheunattainable。
Itneeded，then，onlythememoryofanunattainablewomantorendersolitudepassionatelydesiredbyaman，yetalmostunendurable。Dalewasalonewithhissecret；andeverypine，everythinginthatparksawhimshakenandundone。
Inthedark，pitchydeadnessofnight，whentherewasnowindandthecoldonthepeakshadfrozenthewaterfall，thenthesilenceseemedinsupportable。Manyhoursthatshouldhavebeengiventoslumberwerepacedoutunderthecold，white，pitilessstars，underthelonelypines。
Dale\'smemorybetrayedhim，mockedhisrestraint，cheatedhimofanypeace；andhisimagination，sharpenedbylove，createdpictures，fancies，feelings，thatdrovehimfrantic。
HethoughtofHelenRayner\'sstrong，shapelybrownhand。Inathousanddifferentactionsithauntedhim。Howquickanddeftincamp-firetasks！howgracefulandswiftassheplaitedherdarkhair！howtenderandskilfulinitsministrationwhenoneofhispetshadbeeninjured！howeloquentwhenpressedtightagainstherbreastinamomentoffearonthedangerousheights！howexpressiveofunutterablethingswhenlaidonhisarm！
Dalesawthatbeautifulhandslowlycreepuphisarm，acrosshisshoulder，andslideroundhisnecktoclaspthere。Hewaspowerlesstoinhibitthepicture。Andwhathefeltthenwasboundless，unutterable。Nowomanhadeveryetsomuchasclaspedhishand，andheretoforenosuchimaginingshadevercrossedhismind，yetdeepinhim，somewherehidden，hadbeenthiswaiting，sweet，andimperiousneed。Inthebrightdayheappearedtowardoffsuchfancies，butatnighthewashelpless。Andeveryfancylefthimweaker，wilder。
When，attheculminationofthisphaseofhispassion，Dale，whohadneverknownthetouchofawoman\'slips，suddenlyyieldedtotheillusionofHelenRayner\'skisses，hefoundhimselfquitemad，filledwithraptureanddespair，lovingherashehatedhimself。Itseemedasifhehadexperiencedalltheseterriblefeelingsinsomeformerlifeandhadforgottentheminthislife。Hehadnorighttothinkofher，buthecouldnotresistit。Imaginingthesweetsurrenderofherlipswasasacrilege，yethere，inspiteofwillandhonorandshame，hewaslost。
Dale，atlength，wasvanquished，andheceasedtorailathimself，orrestrainhisfancies。Hebecameadreamy，sad-eyed，camp-firegazer，likemanyanotherlonelyman，separated，bychanceorerror，fromwhatthehearthungeredmostfor。Butthisgreatexperience，whenallitssignificancehadclarifiedinhismind，immeasurablybroadenedhisunderstandingoftheprinciplesofnatureappliedtolife。
Lovehadbeeninhimstrongerthaninmostmen，becauseofhiskeen，vigorous，lonelyyearsintheforest，wherehealthofmindandbodywereintensifiedandpreserved。Howsimple，hownatural，howinevitable！Hemighthavelovedanyfine-spirited，healthy-bodiedgirl。Likeatreeshootingitsbranchesandleaves，itswholeentity，towardthesunlight，sohadhegrowntowardawoman\'slove。Why？Becausethethinghereveredinnature，thespirit，theuniversal，thelifethatwasGod，hadcreatedathisbirthorbeforehisbirththethreetremendousinstinctsofnature——tofightforlife，tofeedhimself，toreproducehiskind。Thatwasalltherewastoit。Butoh！themystery，thebeauty，thetorment，andtheterrorofthisthirdinstinct——thishungerforthesweetnessandthegloryofawoman\'slove！
CHAPTERXVI
HelenRaynerdroppedherknittingintoherlapandsatpensivelygazingoutofthewindowoverthebareyellowrangesofheruncle\'sranch。
Thewinterdaywasbright，butsteely，andthewindthatwhippeddownfromthewhite-cappedmountainshadakeen，frostyedge。Ascantsnowlayinprotectedplaces；cattlestoodbunchedintheleeofridges；lowsheetsofdustscurriedacrosstheflats。
Thebigliving-roomoftheranch-housewaswarmandcomfortablewithitsredadobewalls，itshugestonefireplacewherecedarlogsblazed，anditsmany-coloredblankets。BoRaynersatbeforethefire，curledupinanarmchair，absorbedinabook。OnthefloorlaythehoundPedro，hisracy，fineheadstretchedtowardthewarmth。
\"Didunclecall？\"askedHelen，withastartoutofherreverie。
\"Ididn\'thearhim，\"repliedBo。
Helenrosetotiptoeacrossthefloor，and，softlypartingsomecurtains，shelookedintotheroomwhereherunclelay。
Hewasasleep。Sometimeshecalledoutinhisslumbers。Forweeksnowhehadbeenconfinedtohisbed，slowlygrowingweaker。WithasighHelenreturnedtoherwindow-seatandtookupherwork。
\"Bo，thesunisbright，\"shesaid。\"Thedaysaregrowinglonger。I\'msoglad。\"
\"Nell，you\'realwayswishingtimeaway。Formeitpassesquicklyenough，\"repliedthesister。
\"ButIlovespringandsummerandfall——andIguessIhatewinter，\"returnedHelen，thoughtfully。
Theyellowrangesrolledawayuptotheblackridgesandtheyinturnsweptuptothecold，whitemountains。Helen\'sgazeseemedtogobeyondthatsnowybarrier。AndBo\'skeeneyesstudiedhersister\'searnest，sadface。
\"Nell，doyoueverthinkofDale？\"shequeried，suddenly。
ThequestionstartledHelen。Aslowblushsuffusedneckandcheek。
\"Ofcourse，\"shereplied，asifsurprisedthatBoshouldasksuchathing。
\"I——Ishouldn\'thaveaskedthat，\"saidBo，softly，andthenbentagainoverherbook。
Helengazedtenderlyatthatbright，bowedhead。Inthisswift-flying，eventful，busywinter，duringwhichthemanagementoftheranchhaddevolvedwhollyuponHelen，thelittlesisterhadgrownawayfromher。Bohadinsisteduponherownfreewillandshehadfollowedit，totheamusementofheruncle，totheconcernofHelen，tothedismayandbewildermentofthefaithfulMexicanhousekeeper，andtotheundoingofalltheyoungmenontheranch。
Helenhadalwaysbeenhopingandwaitingforafavorablehourinwhichshemightfindthiswilfulsisteroncemoresusceptibletowiseandlovinginfluence。Butwhileshehesitatedtospeak，slowfootstepsandajingleofspurssoundedwithout，andthencameatimidknock。Bolookedupbrightlyandrantoopenthedoor。
\"Oh！It\'sonly——YOU！\"sheuttered，inwitheringscorn，totheonewhoknocked。
Helenthoughtshecouldguesswhothatwas。
\"Howareyou-all？\"askedadrawlingvoice。
\"Well，MisterCarmichael，ifthatinterestsyou——I\'mquiteill，\"repliedBo，freezingly。
\"Ill！Awno，now？\"
\"It\'safact。IfIdon\'tdierightoffI\'llhavetobetakenbacktoMissouri，\"saidBo，casually。
\"Areyougoin\'toaskmein？\"queriedCarmichael，bluntly。
\"It\'scold——an\'I\'vegotsomethin\'tosayto——\"
\"ToME？Well，you\'renotbackward，Ideclare，\"retortedBo。
\"MissRayner，Ireckonit\'llbestrangetoyou——findin\'
outIdidn\'tcometoseeyou。\"
\"Indeed！No。ButwhatwasstrangewasthedeludedideaIhad——thatyoumeanttoapologizetome——likeagentleman……Comein，Mr。Carmichael。Mysisterishere。\"
ThedoorclosedasHelenturnedround。Carmichaelstoodjustinsidewithhissombreroinhand，andashegazedatBohisleanfaceseemedhard。Inthefewmonthssinceautumnhehadchanged——aged，itseemed，andtheonceyoung，frank，alert，andcarelesscowboytraitshadmergedintothemakingofaman。Helenknewjusthowmuchofamanhereallywas。
Hehadbeenhermainstayduringallthecomplexworkingoftheranchthathadfallenuponhershoulders。
\"Wal，Ireckonyouwasdeluded，allright——ifyouthoughtI\'dcrawllikethemotherloversofyours，\"hesaid，withcooldeliberation。
Boturnedpale，andhereyesfairlyblazed，yeteveninwhatmusthavebeenherfuryHelensawamazeandpain。
\"OTHERlovers？Ithinkthebiggestdelusionhereisthewayyouflatteryourself，\"repliedBo，stingingly。
\"Meflattermyself？Nope。Youdon\'tsavvyme。I\'mshorehatin\'myselfthesedays。\"
\"Smallwonder。Icertainlyhateyou——withallmyheart！\"
AtthisretortthecowboydroppedhisheadanddidnotseeBoflauntherselfoutoftheroom。Butheheardthedoorclose，andthenslowlycametowardHelen。
\"Cheerup，LasVegas，\"saidHelen，smiling。\"Bo\'shot-tempered。\"
\"MissNell，I\'mjustlikeadog。ThemeanershetreatsmethemoreIloveher，\"hereplied，dejectedly。
ToHelen\'sfirstinstinctoflikingforthiscowboytherehadbeenaddedadmiration，respect，andagrowingappreciationofstrong，faithful，developingcharacter。
Carmichael\'sfaceandhandswereredandchappedfromwinterwinds；theleatherofwrist-bands，belt，andbootswasallwornshinyandthin；littlestreaksofdustfellfromhimashebreathedheavily。Henolongerlookedthedashingcowboy，readyforadanceorlarkorfight。
\"Howintheworlddidyouoffendherso？\"askedHelen。\"Boisfurious。Ineversawhersoangryasthat。\"
\"MissNell，itwasjestthisway，\"beganCarmichael。\"ShoreBo\'sknowedIwasinlovewithher。Iaskedhertomarrymean\'shewouldn\'tsayyesorno……An\'，meanasitsounds——sheneverrunawayfromit，thet\'sshore。We\'vehadsomequarrels——twoofthembad，an\'thislast\'stheworst。\"
\"Botoldmeaboutonequarrel，\"saidHelen。\"Itwas——
becauseyoudrank——thattime。\"
\"Shoreitwas。Shetookoneofhercoldspellsan\'Ijestgotdrunk。\"
\"Butthatwaswrong，\"protestedHelen。
\"Iain\'tsoshore。Yousee，Iusedtogetdrunkoften——
beforeIcomehere。An\'I\'vebeendrunkonlyonce。BackatLasVegastheoutfitwouldneverbelievethet。Wal，I
promisedBoIwouldn\'tdoitagain，an\'I\'vekeptmyword。\"
\"Thatisfineofyou。Buttellme，whyissheangrynow？\"
\"Bomakesuptoallthefellars，\"confessedCarmichael，hanginghishead。\"Itookhertothedancelastweek——overinthetown-hall。Thet\'sthefirsttimeshe\'dgoneanywherewithme。Ishorewasproud……Butthetdancewashell。
Bocarriedonsomethin\'turrible，an\'I——\"
\"Tellme。Whatdidshedo？\"demandedHelen，anxiously。\"I\'mresponsibleforher。I\'vegottoseethatshebehaves。\"
\"Aw，Iain\'tsayin\'shedidn\'tbehavelikealady，\"repliedCarmichael。\"Itwas——she——wal，allthemfellarsarefoolsoverher——an\'Bowasn\'ttruetome。\"
\"Mydearboy，isBoengagedtoyou？\"
\"Lord——ifsheonlywas！\"hesighed。
\"Thenhowcanyousayshewasn\'ttruetoyou？Bereasonable。\"
\"Ireckonnow，MissNell，thetnoonecanbeinlovean\'actreasonable，\"rejoinedthecowboy。\"Idon\'tknowhowtoexplain，butthefactisIfeelthetBohasplayedthe——
thedevilwithmean\'alltheotherfellars。\"
\"Youmeanshehasflirted？\"
\"Ireckon。\"
\"LasVegas，I\'mafraidyou\'reright，\"saidHelen，withgrowingapprehension。\"Goon。Tellmewhat\'shappened。\"
\"Wal，thetTurnerboy，whoridesforBeasley，hewashotafterBo，\"returnedCarmichael，andhespokeasifmemoryhurthim。\"ReckonI\'venouseforTurner。He\'safine-lookin\'，strappin\'，bigcow-puncher，an\'calculatedtowinthegirls。Hebragsthethecan，an\'Ireckonhe\'sright。Wal，hewasalwayshangin\'roundBo。An\'hestoleoneofmydanceswithBo。Ionlyhadthree，an\'hecomesuptosaythisonewashis；Bo，veryinnocent——oh，she\'sacuteone！——shesays，\'Why，MisterTurner——isitreallyyours？\'An\'shelookedsofullofjoythetwhenhesaystome，\'Excooseus，friendCarmichael，\'Isattherelikealocoedjackassan\'letthemgo。ButIwasn\'tmadatthet。Hewasabetterdancerthanmean\'Iwantedhertohaveagoodtime。WhatstartedthehellwasIseenhimputhisarmroundherwhenitwasn\'tjusttime，accordin\'tothedance，an\'Bo——shedidn\'tbreakanyrecordsgettin\'awayfromhim。Shepushedhimaway——afteralittle——afterIneardied。Wal，onthewayhomeIhadtotellher。Ishoredid。An\'shesaidwhatI\'dlovetoforget。Then——then，MissNell，Igrabbedher——itwasoutsideherebytheporchan\'allbrightmoonlight——Igrabbedheran\'huggedan\'kissedhergood。
WhenIlethergoIsays，sortabrave，butIwasplumbscared——Isays，\"Wal，areyougoin\'tomarrymenow？\'\"
Heconcludedwithagulp，andlookedatHelenwithwoeinhiseyes。
\"Oh！WhatdidBodo？\"breathlesslyqueriedHelen。
\"Sheslappedme，\"hereplied。\"An\'thenshesays，Ididlikeyoubest，butNOWIhateyou！\'An\'sheslammedthedoorinmyface。\"
\"Ithinkyoumadeagreatmistake，\"saidHelen，gravely。
\"Wal，ifIthoughtsoI\'dbegherforgiveness。ButIreckonIdon\'t。What\'smore，Ifeelbetterthanbefore。I\'monlyacowboyan\'neverwasmuchgoodtillImether。ThenI
braced。Igottohavin\'hopes，studyin\'books，an\'youknowhowI\'vebeenlookin\'intothisranchin\'game。Istoppeddrinkin\'an\'savedmymoney。Wal，sheknowsallthet。Onceshesaidshewasproudofme。Butitdidn\'tseemtocountbigwithher。An\'ifitcan\'tcountbigIdon\'twantittocountatall。IreckonthemadderBoisatmethemorechanceI\'vegot。SheknowsIloveher——thetI\'ddieforher——thetI\'machangedman。An\'sheknowsIneverbeforethoughtofdarin\'totouchherhand。An\'sheknowssheflirtedwithTurner。\"
\"She\'sonlyachild，\"repliedHelen。\"Andallthischange——
theWest——thewildness——andyouboysmakingmuchofher——why，it\'sturnedherhead。ButBowillcomeoutofittrueblue。Sheisgood，loving。Herheartisgold。\"
\"IreckonIknow，an\'myfaithcan\'tbeshook，\"rejoinedCarmichael，simply。\"Butsheoughttobelievethetshe\'llmakebadbloodouthere。TheWestistheWest。Anykindofgirlsarescarce。An\'onelikeBo——Lord！wecowboysneverseennonetocomparewithher。She\'llmakebadbloodan\'
someofitwillbespilled。\"
\"UncleAlencouragesher，\"saidHelen，apprehensively。\"Ittickleshimtohearhowtheboysareafterher。Oh，shedoesn\'ttellhim。Buthehears。AndI，whomuststandinmother\'splacetoher，whatcanIdo？\"
\"MissNell，areyouonmyside？\"askedthecowboy，wistfully。Hewasstrongandelemental，caughtinthetoilsofsomepowerbeyondhim。
YesterdayHelenmighthavehesitatedatthatquestion。Butto-dayCarmichaelbroughtsomeprovenqualityofloyalty，somestrangedepthofruggedsincerity，asifshehadlearnedhisfutureworth。
\"Yes，Iam，\"Helenreplied，earnestly。Andsheofferedherhand。
\"Wal，thenit\'llshoreturnouthappy，\"hesaid，squeezingherhand。Hissmilewasgrateful，buttherewasnothinginitofthevictoryhehintedat。Someofhisruddycolorhadgone。\"An\'nowIwanttotellyouwhyIcome。\"
Hehadloweredhisvoice。\"IsAlasleep？\"hewhispered。
\"Yes，\"repliedHelen。\"Hewasalittlewhileago。\"
\"ReckonI\'dbettershuthisdoor。\"
Helenwatchedthecowboyglideacrosstheroomandcarefullyclosethedoor，thenreturntoherwithintenteyes。Shesensedeventsinhislook，andshedivinedsuddenlythathemustfeelasifhewereherbrother。
\"ShoreI\'mtheonethetfetchesallthebadnewstoyou，\"hesaid，regretfully。
Helencaughtherbreath。Therehadindeedbeenmanylittlecalamitiestomarhermanagementoftheranch——lossofcattle，horses，sheep——thedesertionofherderstoBeasley——failureoffreighterstoarrivewhenmostneeded——
fightsamongthecowboys——anddisagreementsoverlong-arrangeddeals。
\"YouruncleAlmakesaheapofthishereJeffMulvey，\"
assertedCarmichael。
\"Yes，indeed。UncleabsolutelyreliesonJeff，\"repliedHelen。
\"Wal，Ihatetotellyou，MissNell，\"saidthecowboy，bitterly，\"thetMulveyain\'tthemanheseems。\"
\"Oh，whatdoyoumean？\"
\"WhenyourunclediesMulveyisgoin\'overtoBeasleyan\'
he\'sgoin\'totakeallthefellarswho\'llsticktohim。\"
\"CouldJeffbesofaithless——aftersomanyyearsmyuncle\'sforeman？Oh，howdoyouknow？\"
\"ReckonIguessedlongago。Butwasn\'tshore。MissNell，there\'salotinthewindlately，aspooroldAlgrowsweaker。Mulveyhasbeenparticularfriendlytomean\'I\'venursedhimalong，\'ceptIwouldn\'tdrink。An\'hispardshavebeenparticularfriendswithme，too，morean\'moreasI
loosenedup。Yousee，theywasshyofmewhenIfirstgothere。To-daythewholedealshowedcleartomelikeahooftrackinsoftground。BudLewis，who\'sbunkedwithme，comeoutan\'triedtowinmeovertoBeasley——soonasAuchinclossdies。IpalaveredwithBudan\'Iwantedtoknow。
ButBudwouldonlysayhewasgoin\'alongwithJeffan\'
othersoftheoutfit。ItoldhimI\'dreckonoveritan\'lethimknow。HethinksI\'llcomeround。\"
\"Why——whywillthesemenleavemewhen——when——Oh，pooruncle！Theybargainonhisdeath。Butwhy——tellmewhy？\"
\"Beasleyhasworkedonthem——wonthemover，\"repliedCarmichael，grimly。\"AfterAldiestheranchwillgotoyou。
Beasleymeanstohaveit。Hean\'Alwaspardsonce，an\'nowBeasleyhasmostfolksherebelievin\'hegottheshortendofthetdeal。He\'llhavepapers——shore——an\'he\'llhavemostofthemen。Sohe\'lljustputyouoffan\'takepossession。Thet\'sall，MissNell，an\'youcanrelyonitsbein\'true。\"
\"I——Ibelieveyou——butIcan\'tbelievesuch——suchrobberypossible，\"gaspedHelen。
\"It\'ssimpleastwoan\'two。Possessionislawouthere。
OnceBeasleygetsonthegroundit\'ssettled。Whatcouldyoudowithnomentofightforyourproperty？\"
\"But，surely，someofthemenwillstaywithme？\"
\"Ireckon。Butnotenough。\"
\"ThenIcanhiremore。TheBeemanboys。AndDalewouldcometohelpme。\"
\"Dalewouldcome。An\'he\'dhelpaheap。Iwishhewashere，\"
repliedCarmichael，soberly。\"Butthere\'snowaytogethim。
He\'ssnowed-uptillMay。\"
\"Idarenotconfideinuncle，\"saidHelen，withagitation。
\"Theshockmightkillhim。Thentotellhimoftheunfaithfulnessofhisoldmen——thatwouldbecruel……
Oh，itcan\'tbesobadasyouthink。\"
\"Ireckonitcouldn\'tbenoworse。An\'——MissNell，there\'sonlyonewaytogetoutofit——an\'thet\'sthewayoftheWest。\"
\"How？\"queriedHelen，eagerly。
Carmichaellungedhimselferectandstoodgazingdownather。Heseemedcompletelydetachednowfromthatfrank，amiablecowboyofherfirstimpressions。Therednesswastotallygonefromhisface。Somethingstrangeandcoldandsurelookedoutofhiseyes。
\"IseenBeasleygointhesaloonasIrodepast。SupposeI
godownthere，pickaquarrelwithhim——an\'killhim？\"
Helensatbolt-uprightwithacoldshock。
\"Carmichael！you\'renotserious？\"sheexclaimed。
\"Serious？Ishoream。Thet\'stheonlyway，MissNell。An\'I
reckonit\'swhatAlwouldwant。An\'betweenyouan\'me——itwouldbeeasierthanropin\'acalf。ThesefellarsroundPinedon\'tsavvyguns。Now，Icomefromwheregunsmeansomethin\'。An\'whenItellyouIcanthrowagunslickan\'
fast，whyIshoreain\'tbraggin\'。Youneedn\'tworrynoneaboutme，MissNell。\"
Helengraspedthathehadtakenthesignsofhershockedsensibilitytomeanshefearedforhislife。Butwhathadsickenedherwasthemereideaofbloodshedinherbehalf。
\"You\'d——killBeasley——justbecausetherearerumorsofhis——treachery？\"gaspedHelen。
\"Shore。It\'llhavetobedone，anyhow，\"repliedthecowboy。
\"No！No！It\'stoodreadfultothinkof。Why，thatwouldbemurder。I——Ican\'tunderstandhowyouspeakofit——so——
socalmly。\"
\"ReckonIain\'tdoin\'itcalmly。I\'masmadashell，\"saidCarmichael，witharecklesssmile。
\"Oh，ifyouareseriousthen，Isayno——no——no！Iforbidyou。Idon\'tbelieveI\'llberobbedofmyproperty。\"
\"Wal，supposin\'Beasleydoesputyouoff——an\'takespossession。What\'reyougoin\'tosaythen？\"demandedthecowboy，inslow，cooldeliberation。
\"I\'dsaythesamethenasnow，\"shereplied。
Hebenthisheadthoughtfullywhilehisredhandssmoothedhissombrero。
\"Shoreyougirlshaven\'tbeenWestverylong，\"bemuttered，asifapologizingforthem。\"An\'Ireckonittakestimetolearnthewaysofacountry。\"
\"WestornoWest，Iwon\'thavefightsdeliberatelypicked，andmenshot，eveniftheydothreatenme，\"declaredHelen，positively。
\"Allright，MissNell，shoreIrespectyourwishes，\"hereturned。\"ButI\'lltellyouthis。IfBeasleyturnsyouan\'
Booutofyourhome——wal，I\'lllookhimuponmyownaccount。\"
Helencouldonlygazeathimashebackedtothedoor，andshethrilledandshudderedatwhatseemedhisloyaltytoher，hisloveforBo，andthatwhichwasinevitableinhimself。
\"Reckonyoumightsaveusallsometrouble——nowifyou\'d——justgetmad——an\'letmegoafterthetgreaser。\"
\"Greaser！DoyoumeanBeasley？\"
\"Shore。He\'sahalf-breed。HewasborninMagdalena，whereI
heardfolkssaynaryoneofhisparentswasnogood。\"