se I gave him myself.' There can never be any
real doubts or misunderstandings between us again, Nan, if you'll
forgive me for making a fool of myself when I met you at Tenison's. I
didn't dream you were desperate about the way your uncle was playing;
I pieced it all together afterward." He waited for her to speak, but
she remained silent.

"You have given me my life, my defense," he continued, passing from a
subject that he perceived was better left untouched. "Who is nearest
and dearest to you at home?"

"My Uncle Duke."

"Then I never will raise a hand against your Uncle Duke. And this man,
to-night--this cousin--Gale? Nan, what is that man?"

"I hate him."

"Thank God! So do I!"

"But he is a cousin."

"Then I suppose he must be one of mine."

"Unless he tries to kill you."

"He won't be very long in trying that. And now, what about yourself?
What have you got to defend yourself against him, and against every
other drunken man?"

She laid her own pistol without a word in de Spain's hand. He felt it,
opened, closed, and gave it back. "That's a good defender--when it's
in reach. When it's at home it's a poor one."

"It will never be at home again except when I am."

"Shall I tell you a secret?"

"What is it?" asked Nan unsuspectingly.

"We are engaged to be married." She sprang from him like a deer. "It's
a dead secret," he said gravely; "nobody knows it yet--not even you."

"You need never talk again like that if you want to be friends with
me," she said indignantly. "I hate it."

"Hate it if you will; it's so. And it began when you handed me that
little bit of lead and brass on the mountain to-night, to defend your
life and mine."

"I'll hate you if you persecute me the way Gale does. The moon is
almost up. You must go."

"What have you on your feet, Nan?"

"Moccasins." He stooped down and felt one with his hand. She drew her
foot hastily away. "What a girl to manage!" he exclaimed.

"I'm going home," she said with decision.

"Don't for a minute yet, Nan," he pleaded. "Think how long it will be
before I can ever see you again!"

"You may never see anybody again if you don't realize your danger
to-night. Can you ride with a hackamore?"

"Like a dream."

"I didn't dare bring anything else."

"You haven't told me," he persisted, "how you got away at all." They
had walked out of the trees. He looked reluctantly to the east. "Tell
me and I'll go," he promised.

"After I went up to my