cunning
face, and walked into the room before I could stop him. 'I want my runaway
wife, and I mean to find her. Who the deuce are you--another of them?' he
said."

I found it hard work to keep back the words that seemed most suitable, and
perhaps I was not altogether successful, while Aline's forehead turned
crimson and she clenched her hand viciously as she added:

"I told him that I was your sister, and he laughed as he said--he didn't
believe me. Then he swore horribly, and said--oh, I can't tell you what he
said, but he intended to ruin you, and would either shoot his wife or
thrash her to death, while the man in the wagon sat still, smiling
wickedly, and I grew horribly frightened."

The rattle of harness outside increased, and turning I saw Jasper striding
away from the wagon, which stood near the open doorway, while Aline drew
in her breath as she continued: "Then Fletcher said he would make me tell
where his wife was, and I determined that he should kill me first. He came
toward me like a wild beast, for there were little red veins in his eyes,
and I moved backward round the table, feeling perfectly awful, because he
reeked of liquor. Then I saw the rifle and edged away until I could reach
it, and he stopped and said more fearful things, until the man jumped out
of the wagon and dragged him away. I think Fletcher was afraid of the
other man. So I just sat down and cried, and wondered whether I should
have dared shoot him, until I found there wasn't a cartridge at all in the
rifle."

After this Aline wept copiously again and while, feeling both savage and
helpless, I patted her shoulder, calling her a brave girl, Jasper looked
in.

"I won't stop and worry Miss Lorimer now," he said shortly. "I'm borrowing
a saddle, and will see you to-morrow. Good evening."

He kept his promise, for the next morning, when Aline was herself again,
he rode up to the door and came in chuckling.

"I guess I have a confession to make," he said, "Couldn't help hearing
what your sister said, though I kept banging the harness to let you know I
was there, so I figured as to their probable trail and lit out after them.
Came up with the pair toward nightfall by the big sloo, and invited Mr.
Fletcher to an interview. Fletcher didn't seem to see it. He said he
wouldn't get down, but mentioned several things--they're not worth
repeating--about his wife and you, with a word of your sister that settled
me.

"'I'm a friend of Miss Lor