paths of rectitude to those which
meandered through the willows and the old ghost walk. The firm of
Sanchez y Munoz had gone to seed, the ranch to ashes, and the
individual members to jail. Dago had accompanied Mrs. Bennett and the
growing babies to her brother's ranch on the Agua Fria. The Indians had
been gathered to their reservations, and 'Tonio, with Lieutenant
Harris, has been assigned to service under the eye of the Great Chief
himself. A new post, a big post, was projected nearer the reservation.
It was rumored that Almy would then be abandoned and Case would not
have even the ghost walk for his solitary moonings when the whiskey
spell was on him, and the spells, though no more frequent, as the
Scotchman would have it, were of longer duration. He had taken
strongly, not strangely, to Stannard and his gentle wife, and it was to
them he told at last the story of his troubles, and through them, long
years after, it became known.

He was doing well in Portland, had fallen deeply in love with, and was
engaged to, as pretty a girl as ever was seen, good and gentle, too;
but she was young, the belle of her set, a beautiful dancer, and Case
could not dance. She loved gayety, pleasure, music, and in those days
they picnicked over to Vancouver, and danced in a big barrack to the
stirring strains of the band of the Lost and Strayed, and why shouldn't
the Portland girls love to dance with the young officers? Why shouldn't
Estelle enjoy dancing with such finished performers and partners? There
was one at that time who outclassed them all, and in an evil day they
met. It wasn't long before her fascination became infatuation, and
either there or in Portland, or somewhere, they were forever meeting.
It was not long before Case saw his world swept from before his eyes.
He did his best with her, with her mother and friends, but she told him
flatly that she loved Lieutenant Willett and would be no man's wife but
his. That clinched Case's downfall--and hers, but not until after Case
saw Willett at Camp Almy, and her mother's letters, and hers, began
again to come, did he learn the worst. Then came Willett's devotions to
Archer's gentle little daughter, and the rage within his soul
overmastered him. He would not--he could not--bear to tell of Estelle's
shame. He dare not, he owned it, oppose himself man to man, physically,
to Willett, but he burned with desire for revenge. Sanchez and his kind
were willing tools. Ramon and Alvarez,