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〃Thank you； Jane Withersteen；〃 replied the rider； and he bowed to her and stepped backward out of the court。
〃Will you not staysleep under my roof？〃 she asked。
〃No； ma'am； an' thanks again。 I never sleep indoors。 An' even if I did there's that gatherin' storm in the village below。 No； no。 I'll go to the sage。 I hope you won't suffer none for your kindness to me。〃
〃Lassiter；〃 said Venters； with a half…bitter laugh； 〃my bed too； is the sage。 Perhaps we may meet out there。〃
〃Mebbe so。 But the sage is wide an' I won't be near。 Good night。〃
At Lassiter's low whistle the black horse whinnied； and carefully picked his blind way out of the grove。 The rider did not bridle him； but walked beside him； leading him by touch of hand and together they passed slowly into the shade of the cottonwoods。
〃Jane； I must be off soon；〃 said Venters。 〃Give me my guns。 If I'd had my guns〃
〃Either my friend or the Elder of my church would be lying dead；〃 she interposed
〃Tull would besurely。〃
〃Oh； you fierce…blooded； savage youth！ Can't I teach you forebearance； mercy？ Bern； it's divine to forgive your enemies。 'Let not the sun go down upon thy wrath。'〃
〃Hush！ Talk to me no more of mercy or religionafter to…day。 To…day this strange coming of Lassiter left me still a man； and now I'll die a man！。。。Give me my guns。〃
Silently she went into the house； to return with a heavy cartridge…belt and gun…filled sheath and a long ride； these she handed to him； and as he buckled on the belt she stood before him in silent eloquence。
〃Jane；〃 he said； in gentler voice； 〃don't look so。 I'm not going out to murder your churchman。 I'll try to avoid him and all his men。 But can't you see I've reached the end of my rope？ Jane； you're a wonderful woman。 Never was there a woman so unselfish and good。 Only you're blind in one way。。。。Listen！〃
From behind the grove came the clicking sound of horses in a rapid trot。
〃Some of your riders；〃 he continued。 〃It's getting time for the night shift。 Let us go out to the bench in the grove and talk there。〃
It was still daylight in the open； but under the spreading cottonwoods shadows were obscuring the lanes。 Venters drew Jane off from one of these into a shrub…lined trail； just wide enough for the two to walk abreast； and in a roundabout way led her far from the house to a knoll on the edge of the grove。 Here in a secluded nook was a bench from which； through an opening in the tree…tops； could be seen the sage…slope and the wall of rock and the dim lines of canyons。 Jane had not spoken since Venters had shocked her with his first harsh speech； but all the way she had clung to his arm； and now； as he stopped and laid his rifle against the bench； she still clung to him。
〃Jane； I'm afraid I must leave you。〃
〃Bern！〃 she cried。
〃Yes； it looks that way。 My position is not a happy oneI can't feel rightI've lost all〃
〃I'll give you anything you〃
〃Listen； please。 When I say loss I don't mean what you think。 I mean loss of good…will； good namethat which would have enabled me to stand up in this village without bitterness。 Well； it's too late。。。。Now； as to the future； I think you'd do best to give me up。 Tull is implacable。 You ought to see from his intention to…day thatBut you can't see。 Your blindnessyour damned religion！。。。Jane； forgive meI'm sore within and something rankles。 Well； I fear that invisible hand will turn its hidden work to your ruin。〃
〃Invisible hand？ Bern！〃
〃I mean your Bishop。〃 Venters said it deliberately and would not release her as she started back。 〃He's the law。 The edict went forth to ruin me。 Well； look at me！ It'll now go forth to compel you to the will of the Church。〃
〃You wrong Bishop Dyer。 Tull is hard； I know。 But then he has been in love with me for years。〃
〃Oh； your faith and your excuses！ You can't see what I knowand if you did see it you'd not admit it to save your life。 That's the Mormon of you。 These elders and bishops will do absolutely any deed to go on building up the power and wealth of their church； their empire。 Think of what they've done to the Gentiles here； to methink of Milly Erne's fate！〃
〃What do you know of her story？〃
〃I know enoughall； perhaps； except the name of the Mormon who brought her here。 But I must stop this kind of talk。〃
She pressed his hand in response。 He helped her to a seat beside him on the bench。 And he respected a silence that he divined was full of woman's deep emotion beyond his understanding。
It was the moment when the last ruddy rays of the sunset brightened momentarily before yielding to twilight。 And for Venters the outlook before him was in some sense similar to a feeling of his future； and with searching eyes he studied the beautiful purple； barren waste of sage。 Here was the unknown and the perilous。 The whole scene impressed Venters as a wild； austere； and mighty manifestation of nature。 And as it somehow reminded him of his prospect in life； so it suddenly resembled the woman near him； only in her there were greater beauty and peril； a mystery more unsolvable； and something nameless that numbed his heart and dimmed his eye。
〃Look！ A rider！〃 exclaimed Jane； breaking the silence。 〃Can that be Lassiter？〃
Venters moved his glance once more to the west。 A horseman showed dark on the sky…line； then merged into the color of the sage。
〃It might be。 But I think notthat fellow was coming in。 One of your riders； more likely。 Yes； I see him clearly now。 And there's another。〃
〃I see them； too。〃
〃Jane； your riders seem as many as the bunches of sage。 I ran into five yesterday 'way down near the trail to Deception Pass。 They were with the white herd。〃
〃You still go to that canyon？ Bern； I wish you wouldn't。 Oldring and his rustlers live somewhere down there。〃
〃Well； what of that？〃
〃Tull has already hinted to your frequent trips into Deception Pass。〃
〃I know。〃 Venters uttered a short laugh。 〃He'll make a rustler of me next。 But； Jane； there's no water for fifty miles after I leave here； and the nearest is in the canyon。 I must drink and water my horse。 There！ I see more riders。 They are going out。〃
〃The red herd is on the slope； toward the Pass。〃
Twilight was fast falling。 A group of horsemen crossed the dark line of low ground to become more distinct as they climbed the slope。 The silence broke to a clear call from an incoming rider； and； almost like the peal of a hunting…horn； floated back the answer。 The outgoing riders moved swiftly； came sharply into sight as they topped a ridge to show wild and black above the horizon； and then passed down； dimming into the purple of the sage。
〃I hope they don't meet Lassiter；〃 said Jane。
〃So do I；〃 replied Venters。 〃By this time the riders of the night shift know what happened to…day。 But Lassiter will likely keep out of their way。〃
〃Bern； who is Lassiter？ He's only a name to mea terrible name。〃
〃Who is he？ I don't know； Jane。 Nobody I ever met knows him。 He talks a little like a Texan； like Milly Erne。 Did you note that？〃
〃Yes。 How strange of him to know of her！ And she lived here ten years and has been dead two。 Bern； what do you know of Lassiter？ Tell me what he has donewhy you spoke of him to Tullthreatening to become another Lassiter yourself？〃
〃Jane； I only heard things； rumors； stories； most of which I disbelieved。 At Glaze his name was known； but none of the riders or ranchers I knew there ever met him。 At Stone Bridge I never heard him mentioned。 But at Sterling and villages north of there he was spoken of often。 I've never been in a village which he had been known to visit。 There were many conflicting stories about him and his doings。 Some said he had shot up this and that Mormon village； and others denied it。 I'm inclined to believe he has； and you know how Mormons hide the truth。 But there was one feature about Lassiter upon which all agreethat he was what riders in this country call a gun…man。 He's a man with a marvelous quickness and accuracy in the use of a Colt。 And now that I've seen him I know more。 Lassiter was born without fear。 I watched him with eyes which saw him my friend。 I'll never forget the moment I recognized him from what had been told me of his crouch before the draw。 It was then I yelled his name。 I believe that yell saved Tull's life。 At any rate； I know this； between Tull and death then there was not the breadth of the littlest hair。 If he or any of his men had moved a finger downward〃
Venters left his meaning unspoken； but at the suggestion Jane shuddered。
The pale afterglow in the west darkened with the merging of twilight into night。 The sage now spread out black and gloomy。 One dim star glimmered in the southwest sky。 The sound of trotting horses had ceased； and there was silence broken only by a faint； dry pattering of cottonwood leaves in the soft night wind。
Into this peace and calm suddenly broke the high…keyed yelp of a coyote； and from far off in the darkness came the faint answering note of a trailing mate。
〃Hello！ the sage…dogs are barking；〃 said Venters。
〃I don't like to hear them；〃 replied Jane。 〃At night； sometimes when I lie awake； listening to the long mourn or breaking bark or wild howl； I think of you asleep somewhere in the sage； and my heart aches。〃
〃J