ow and thrilling. In its deep resonance was the
echo of all human sorrow. There was no hint of accusation, yet Peter felt
accused. He felt, now when it was too late, that his position had been one
of almost pusillanimous negligence. From the beginning he had taken a firm
stand against violent measures. He had talked, argued, reasoned, inveighed
against violence; no later than a week ago he had ridden across the desert
to tell Henderson that the Wetmore outfit would take no part in violence
of any sort, and that the cattle outfit that did resort to extreme
measures would miss the support of the "W-Square" in any future range
business. But it had not been enough. He should have made plain his
position in regard to Judith. With her as his future wife the tragedy of
the valley would not have been possible.

From the ranch-house came the swell of the fiddles, the rhythmic shuffle
of feet, the song of the dancers, dulled by distance. Beside him was
Judith, a white spirit, the woman in her dead of grief. And yet, through
all the grim horror of the tragedy she remembered the part that had been
allotted to her, threw all the weight of her personality on the side of
the game she was playing.

"You must be on our side, Peter, and when there is talk of Jim's absence
you must imply that he is East somewhere. You will know how to meet such
inquiries better than we women. Henderson will be only too glad. You
should have seen the wretch when I held out my hand to him and told him to
dance with me. He came, white and shambling; we have nothing to fear from
Henderson. Alida has no money to go away with. She and I must stay here
and make a beginning for the children, and, Peter, we want you to help
us."

He had no voice to answer her brave words for a minute, and then his
sentences came uncertain and halting.

"You must think me a poor sort of friend, Judith, one who has been blind
till the eleventh hour and is then found wanting. I feel so guilty to you,
to your brother's wife, to that little child who put out his arms so
trustfully to me that night, but I never imagined that things would come
to such a pass as this. The smaller cattle outfits have been doing a good
deal of blustering, but the more conservative element supposed that they
had them in check, and did not for a moment think that they would take the
law into their own hands. Believe me, this lawlessness has been in the
face of every influence that could be brought to bear,