lated her father, as if convinced of the uselessness of
trying to understand a woman. "Say, did you see any strange horse
tracks?"

"I reckon I did. And I know who made them."

Jorth stiffened. All the men behind him showed a sudden intensity of
suspense.

"Who?" demanded Jorth.

"Shore it was Jean Isbel," replied Ellen, coolly. "He came up heah
tracking his black horse."

"Jean--Isbel--trackin'--his--black horse," repeated her father.

"Yes. He's not overrated as a tracker, that's shore."

Blank silence ensued. Ellen cast a slow glance over her father and the
others, then she began to loosen the cinches of her saddle. Presently
Jorth burst the silence with a curse, and Daggs followed with one of
his sardonic laughs.

"Wal, boss, what did I tell you?" he drawled.

Jorth strode to Ellen, and, whirling her around with a strong hand, he
held her facing him.

"Did y'u see Isbel?"

"Yes," replied Ellen, just as sharply as her father had asked.

"Did y'u talk to him?"

"Yes."

"What did he want up heah?"

"I told y'u. He was tracking the black horse y'u stole."

Jorth's hand and arm dropped limply. His sallow face turned a livid
hue. Amaze merged into discomfiture and that gave place to rage. He
raised a hand as if to strike Ellen. And suddenly Daggs's long arm
shot out to clutch Jorth's wrist. Wrestling to free himself, Jorth
cursed under his breath. "Let go, Daggs," he shouted, stridently. "Am
I drunk that you grab me?"

"Wal, y'u ain't drunk, I reckon," replied the rustler, with sarcasm.
"But y'u're shore some things I'll reserve for your private ear."

Jorth gained a semblance of composure. But it was evident that he
labored under a shock.

"Ellen, did Jean Isbel see this black horse?"

"Yes. He asked me how I got Spades an' I told him."

"Did he say Spades belonged to him?"

"Shore I reckon he, proved it. Y'u can always tell a horse that loves
its master."

"Did y'u offer to give Spades back?"

"Yes. But Isbel wouldn't take him."

"Hah! ... An' why not?"

"He said he'd rather I kept him. He was about to engage in a dirty,
blood-spilling deal, an' he reckoned he'd not be able to care for a
fine horse.... I didn't want Spades. I tried to make Isbel take him.
But he rode off.... And that's all there is to that."

"Maybe it's not," replied Jorth, chewing his mustache and eying Ellen
with dark, intent gaze. "Y'u've met this Isbel twice."

"It wasn't any fault of mine,