ants ye ter kinderly look atter him like he ought
ter look atter you."

A stray lock of heavy hair had fallen across the girl's violet eyes,
and with an impatient gesture at the reminder of her sex, Alexander
tossed it back. "I gives ye my pledge," she said simply.

Then she rose from her knees and stood looking off through the window
with a fixity that argued a deep dedication of purpose. "An' I pledges
ye somethin' else too," she broke out in a voice suddenly savage. "Ef
ye dies Bud Sellers belongs ter me ter kill--an' I won't nowise fail."

But at that the wounded man raised a deter rent hand shaken with
palsied anxiety.

"No--no!" he gasped. "Thet's ther sperit I've done sought ter combat
all my life--ther shot from ther la'rel--ther lay-wayin' of enemies. I
couldn't rest easy ef ye denied me that pledge."

Alexander's hands clenched themselves, and her lips were compressed.

"I don't aim ter lay-way him," she declared with an ominous quiet. "I
aims ter reckon with him es man ter man."

"Alexander." He spoke with slow difficulty but she knew that the words
came earnestly from his heart. "I hain't skeercely got ther strength
ter argyfy with ye, but without ye seeks ter hinder me from layin'
peaceful in my last sleep ye'll bide by my command. Ther boy wasn't
hisself when he harmed me. He war plum crazed. No man loves me better
than what he does when he's in his right mind. No man wucked harder
down thar. I fergives him full free. I wants ye ter act ther same an'
ter make Joe do likewise."

The girl covered her face with her hands and turned from the bed. She
went for a moment to the door and flung it open. There was no longer
any sunshine--only a dome of leaden heaviness and the wail of dismal
wind through the timber. To the father's eyes, despite her masculine
attire she was all feminine as she stood there and his face grew tender
as he watched the curls stirring at her temples.

Finally she wheeled and with a military stiffness marched back. Slowly
she nodded her head. "I gives ye thet pledge too;" she said, "since ye
wants hit--but I gives hit with a right heavy sperit."

He reached up and took her hand, drawing her down to the bed by his
side.

"Alexander," he said softly, "mebby I hain't played quite fa'r with ye
my own self. I've done tried ter raise ye up like a man because I
could always kinderly lean on ye--but ye've done been both a son an' a
daughter ter me. Maybe though wh