out her."

"Son, thar's nuthin' to tell. She's done jest the same, except fer thet
takin' to watchin' fer you. Reckon thet means a good deal."

"What?"

"Wal, I don't figger girls as well as I do other critters," answered
Slingerland, reflectively. "But I'd say Allie shows interest in you."

"Slingerland! You don't mean she--she cares for me?" demanded Neale.

"I don't know. Mebbe not. Mebbe she's beyond carin'. But I believe you
an' thet red memory of bloody death air all she ever thinks of. An'
mostly of it."

"Then it'll be a fight between me and that memory?"

"So I take it, son. But recollect I ain't no mind-doctor. I jest feel
you could make her fergit thet hell if you tried hard enough."

"I'll try--hard as I can," replied Neale, resolutely, yet with a certain
softness. "I'm sorry for her. I saved her. Why shouldn't I do everything
possible?"

"Wal, she's alone."

"No, Allie has friends--you and King and me. That's three."

"Son, I reckon you don't figger me. Listen. You're a fine, strappin'
young feller an' good-lookin'. More 'n thet, you've got some--some
quality like an Injun's--thet you can feel but can't tell about. You
needn't be insulted, fer I know Injuns thet beat white men holler fer
all thet's noble. Anyway, you attract. An' now if you keep on with all
thet--thet--wal, usin' yourself to make Allie fergit the bloody murder
of all she loved, to make her mind clear again--why, sooner or later
she's a-goin' to breathe an' live through you. Jest as a flower lives
offen the sun. Thet's all, I reckon."

Neale's bronze cheek had paled a little. "Well, if that's all, that's
easy," he replied, with a cool, bright smile which showed the latent
spirit in him. "If it's only that--why she can have me.... Slingerland,
I've no ties now. The last one was broken when my mother died--not long
ago. I'm alone, too.... I'd do as much for any innocent girl--but for
this poor child Allie--whose life I saved--I'd do anything."

Slingerland shoved out a horny hand and made a giant grip express what
evidently just then he could not express in speech.

Upon returning to the cabin they found Allie had left her room. From
appearances Neale concluded that she had made little use of the things
he had brought her. He was conscious of something akin to impatience.
He was not sure what he did feel. The situation had subtly changed and
grown, all in that brief talk with Slingerland. Neale slowly walked out
toward the bro