heart bounded in his
bosom, his brow corrugated, his eyes danced and gleamed fire as he swore
a second vengeance upon the perpetrators of this intended foul, heinous
crime. The black demons of hell darted before his maddened stare,
laughing joyously, dancing happily, because of his great discomfiture.
He gripped the butt of his pistol, while his eyes lighted on a rifle,
which he snatched up, then started off in lone defense of his own
property. Nora, who had been watching him constantly, laid her hand upon
his shoulder. The touch was like magic upon his wearied soul.

"Don't, Jack," she whispered softly, impressively. "Dad is quite right.
Ye are sure to git killed ef ye go down there to-night."

Nora saw that Wade was filled with emotional indignity. For a moment he
was about to shake loose from her grasp, but he felt her grip on his arm
tighten.

"For my sake, Jack."

He turned and looked into her eyes. The light of real love shone from
them, and a thrill ran through his being.

"For your sake I'd better go," he said.

CHAPTER VI

Mounting his horse, Al Thompson rode rapidly along the ridge of the
mountain, with hot breath of hate steaming from his extended nostrils.
His soul cried out loudly for revenge, and he meant to fulfill its
desires though he brought all his friends into the quarrel. He meant to
murder the man who so grossly insulted him and belittled him in the
presence of the girl who was more to him than his own life, more to him
now than she had ever been before. As the road grew less rugged he
stiffened his pace, beating his horse over the flanks with his hat,
until he finally broke into a dead run. On he went with the breath of
fury still flying from his dilated nostrils, infuriated the more by the
low hanging limbs, until he reached the stream at the base of the
mountain, crossed over and turned up the main road, putting his horse to
his best, when he came in sight of a cabin, the very sight of which
seemed to lend strength to his tired body. He let out a terrible yell
and fired his pistol into the air to attract the inmates of the cabin,
who, upon hearing him and the pistol shots, rushed out feeling that a
terrible calamity was about to befall them. When they appeared in the
doorway Thompson cried out in an old, familiar way: "Git ready. Ther old
rock on ther mountain top--midnight. The cap'n says be thar shore."

"Who's ther victim?" cried one.

"Ther newcomer," answered Thompson.