the talk, for sure! Your folks sorta handed you
the tongue for the family when you butted into this here world, didn't
they? An' so that's your grandpa? I come pretty near hurtin' him an'
you're some het up over it? But I reckon that if he has to set around
an' listen to your palaver he'd be right glad to cash in. Shucks. I
beg your pardon, ma'am. If it'll do you any good to know, I thought
your poor grandpap was some one else. I was thinkin' it was a family
affair, an' that I had a right to guzzle him. You see, I thought the
ol' maverick was my father."

The girl started, the color slowly faded from her cheeks and she drew a
long, tremulous breath.

"Then you," she said; "you are----" She hesitated and stared at him
intensely, her free hand tightly clenched.

He bowed, derisively, discerning the sudden confusion that had
overtaken her and making the most of his opportunity to increase it.

"I'm Calumet Marston," he said, grinning.

The girl gasped. "Oh!" she said, weakly; "Oh!"

The huge pistol slipped out of her hand and thudded dully to the floor
and she stood, holding tightly to the door jambs, her eyes fixed on
Calumet with an expression that he could not analyze.

CHAPTER III

CALUMET'S GUARDIAN

A new silence fell; a silence pregnant with a premonition of renewed
strife. Calumet felt it and the evil in him exulted. He left the desk
and stepped close to the girl, deftly picking up the fallen pistol and
placing it on the desk back of him, out of the girl's reach. She
watched him, both hands pressed over her bosom, apparently still
stunned over the revelation of his identity. There was mystery here,
Calumet felt it and was determined to uncover it. He took up the chair
that he had previously overturned and seated himself on it, facing the
girl.

"Set down," he said, waving a hand toward another chair. In response
to his invitation she moved toward the chair, hesitated when she
reached it, apparently having nearly recovered her composure, though
her face was pale and she watched him covertly, half fearfully. While
she seated herself Calumet got out of his chair and took up the candle,
placing it on the desk beside the pistol. This done, he busied himself
with the rolling of a cigarette, working deliberately, an alert eye on
the girl and her grandfather.

The latter had recovered and was sitting rigid in the chair, fear and
wonder in his eyes as he watched Calumet. To him Calum