uble and enforced sobriety. He pulled a large flask from his
pocket and offered it.

"Here!" he said, "take a swallow of this and pull yourself together."

Greyson, with a cry, seized the liquor and drained every drop before
Truedale could control him.

"God bless yo'!" whined Greyson, sinking back into his chair, "bless
and--and keep yo'!"

Truedale dared not leave the house though his soul recoiled from the
sight before him. He waited an hour, watching the effect of the
stimulant. Greyson grew mellow after a time--at peace with the world; he
smiled foolishly and became maudlinly familiar. Finally, Truedale
approached him again. He bent over him and shook him sharply.

"Did you tell me--the truth--about--Nella-Rose?" he whispered to the
sagging, blear-eyed creature.

"Yes, sir!" moaned Peter, "I sho' did!"

And Truedale did not reflect that when Greyson was-drunk--he lied!

Truedale never recalled clearly how he spent the hours between the time
he left Greyson's until he knocked on the door of White's cabin; but it
was broad daylight and bitingly cold when Jim flung the door open and
looked at the stranger with no idea, for a moment, that he had ever seen
him before. Then, putting his hand out wonderingly, he muttered:

"Gawd!" and drew Truedale in. Breakfast was spread on the table; the
dogs lay before the blazing fire.

"Eat!" commanded Jim, "and keep yer jaws shet except to put in food."

Conning attempted the feat but made a pitiful showing.

"Come to stay on?"

White's curiosity was betraying him and the sympathy in his eyes filled
Truedale with a mad desire to take this "God's man" into his confidence.

"No, Jim. I've come to pack and go back to--to my job!"

"Gosh! it can't be much of a job if you can tackle it--lookin' like what
you do!"

"I've been tramping for--for days, old man! Rather overdone the thing.
I'm not so bad as I look."

"Glad to hear it!" laconically.

"I'll put up with you to-night, Jim, if you'll take me in." Truedale
made an effort to smile.

"Provin' there ain't any hard feeling?"

"There never was, White. I--understood."

"Shake!"

They got through the day somehow. The crust was forming over Truedale's
suffering; he no longer had any desire to let even White break through
it. Once, during the afternoon, the sheriff spoke of Nella-Rose and
without flinching Truedale listened.

"That gal will have Burke eatin' out o' her hand in no time. Lawson is
all right at th