the saints above an' the
saints below both by the ears." He paused to light his dudeen. "There'll
be a Donnybrook Fair in Utah, if belike we don't have it along the way."

"No Mormon'll need another wife if he takes her," laughed somebody else.

"She'll be promised to Dan'l 'fore ever we cross the Wasatch." And they
all in the group looked slyly at me. "Acts as if she'd been sealed to him
already, he does."

This had occurred at our nooning hour, amidst the dust and the heat, while
the animals drooped and dozed and panted and in the scant shade of the
hooded wagons we drank our coffee and crunched our hardtack. Throughout
the morning My Lady had ridden upon the seat of Daniel's wagon, with him
sometimes trudging beside, in pride of new ownership, cracking his whip,
and again planted sidewise upon one of the wheel animals, facing backward
to leer at her.

Why I should now have especially detested him I would not admit to myself.
At any rate the dislike dated before her arrival. That was one sop to
conscience when I remembered that she was a wife.

Friend Jenks must have read my thoughts, inasmuch as during the course of
the afternoon he had uttered abruptly:

"These Mormons don't exactly recognize Gentile marriages. Did you know
that?" He flung me a look from beneath shaggy brows.

"What?" I exclaimed. "How so?"

"Meanin' to say that layin' on of hands by the Lord's an'inted is
necessary to reel j'inin' in marriage."

"But that's monstrous!" I stammered.

"Dare say," said he. "It's the way white gospelers look at Injuns, ain't
it? Anyhow, to convert her out of sin, as they'd call it, and put her over
into the company of the saints wouldn't be no bad deal, by their kind o'
thinkin'. It's been done before, I reckon. Jest thought I'd warn you.
She's made her own bed and if it's a Mormon bed she's well quit of
Montoyo, that's sartin. Did you ever see the beat of that young feller on
the draw?"

"No," I admitted. "I never did."

"And you never will."

"He says his name's Bonnie Bravo. Where did he find that?"

"Haw haw." Friend Jenks spat. "Must ha' heard it in a play-house or got it
read to him out a book. Sounds to him like he was some punkins. Anyhow, if
you've any feelin's in the matter keep 'em under your hat. I don't know
what there's been between you and her, but the Mormon church is between
you now and it's got the dead-wood on you. It's either that for her, or
Montoyo. He knows; he's no fool and he'