next day with his stubborn pipe before the fire. Duke had acceded with
much reluctance to the undertaking that was to force her into a
marriage. Gale had only partly convinced him that once taken, the step
would save her from de Spain and end their domestic troubles. The
failure of the scheme left Duke sullen, and his nephew sore, with
humiliation.

In spite of the alarms and excitement of the night, of Gale's
determination that de Spain should never leave the Gap with Nan, and
of the rousing of every man within it to cut off their escape, Duke
stubbornly refused to pursue the man he so hated or even to leave the
house in any effort to balk his escape. But Gale, and Sassoon who had
even keener reason for hating de Spain, left Duke to sulk as he would,
and set about getting the enemy without any help from the head of the
house. In spite of the caution with which de Spain had covered his
movements, and the flood and darkness of the night, Sassoon by a mere
chance had got wind through one of his men of de Spain's appearance at
Duke Morgan's, and had begun to plan, before Nan and de Spain had got
out of the house, how to trap him.

Duke heard from Pardaloe, during the night and the early morning,
every report with indifference. He only sat and smoked, hour after
hour, in silence. But after it became known that de Spain had, beyond
doubt, made good his escape, and had Nan with him, the old man's
sullenness turned into rage, and when Gale, rankling with defeat,
stormed in to see him in the morning, he caught the full force of
Duke's wrath. The younger man taken aback by the outbreak and in drink
himself, returned his abuse without hesitation or restraint. Pardaloe
came between them before harm was done, but the two men parted with
the anger of their quarrel deepened.

When Nan rode with de Spain into Sleepy Cat that morning, Lefever had
already told their story to Jeffries over the telephone from
Calabasas, and Mrs. Jeffries had thrown open her house to receive Nan.
Weary from exposure, confusion, and hunger, Nan was only too grateful
for a refuge.

On the evening of the second day de Spain was invited to join the
family at supper. In the evening the Jeffrieses went down-town.

De Spain was talking with Nan in the living-room when the telephone-bell
rang in the library.

De Spain took the call, and a man's voice answered his salutation. The
speaker asked for Mr. de Spain and seemed particular to make sure of
his ident