. And if you're not a public executioner, leave me--I'm dying
fast enough."

"You came here to hide to kill somebody!" she exclaimed, as if the
thought were a sudden explanation.

"What do you mean by 'here'? I might better ask why you came here," he
retorted. "I don't know where I am. Do I look as if I came here by
choice?" He paused. "Listen," he said, quite master of himself, "I'll
tell you why I came. I shall never get away alive, anyway--you can
have the truth if you want it. I got off my horse in the night to get
a drink. He bolted. I couldn't walk. I climbed up here to hide till my
wounds heal. Now, I've told you the truth. Where am I?"

The grip of her hands on the rifle might have relaxed somewhat, but
she saw his deadly revolver in its accustomed place and did not mean
to surrender her command of him. Nor would she tell him where he was.
She parried his questions. He could get no information of any sort out
of her. Yet he saw that something more than his mere presence detained
and perplexed her. Her prompt condemnation of him rankled in his mind,
and the strain of facing her suspicion wore on him. "I won't ask you
anything more," he said at length. "You do right to give me no
information. It might help me save my life. I can't talk any longer.
You know you think I've no right to live--that's what you think, isn't
it? Why don't you shoot?" She only stared at him. "Why don't you
answer?" he demanded recklessly.

Nan summoned her resolution. "I know you tried to kill my cousin," she
said hotly, after he had taunted her once more. "And I don't know you
won't try it again as soon as you are able. And I am going to think
what to do before I tell you anything or do anything."

"You know I tried to kill your cousin! You know nothing of the kind.
Your cousin tried to kill me. He's a bully and a coward, a man that
doesn't know what fair fighting means. Tell him that for me."

"You are safe in abusing him when he's not here."

"Send him to me! This is no place for a woman that calls me what you
call me--send your cousin and all his friends!" His voice shook with
anger. "Tell him I'm wounded; tell him I've had nothing to eat since I
fought him before. And if he's still afraid"--de Spain drew and broke
his revolver almost like a flash. In that incredibly quick instant she
realized he might have threatened her life before she could move a
muscle--"tell your fine cousin I've got one cartridge left--just one!"
So sayi