ables
caught him as he fell.

"Hold up, Tom!" he said tremulously, the thick tears standing in his
eyes. "Don't give way! Be a man! Hold up! Steady! Here, let me take the
poor Kiddie!"

For a ghastly pallor was stealing over Tom's features, and his lips were
widely parted in a gasping struggle for breath.

"No--no!--don't take my boy!" he muttered feebly. "Let me--keep
him--with me! God is good--good after all!--we shall not--be parted!"

A strong convulsion shook his sinewy frame from head to foot, and he
writhed in desperate agony. The officer put an arm under his head, and
made an expressive sign to the awed witnesses of the scene. Helmsley,
startled at this, came hurriedly forward, trembling and scarcely able to
speak in the extremity of his fear and pity.

"What--what is it?" he stammered. "Not--not----?"

"Death! That's what it is!" said the officer, gently. "His heart's
broken!"

One rough fellow here pushed his way to the side of the fallen man,--it
was the cattle-driver who had taken part in the previous conversation
among the customers at the inn before the occurrence of the tragedy. He
knelt down, sobbing like a child.

"Tom!" he faltered, "Tom, old chap! Hearten up a bit! Don't leave us!
There's not one of us us'll think ill of ye!--no, not if the law was to
shut ye up for life! You was allus good to us poor folk--an' poor folk
aint as forgittin' o' kindness as rich. Stay an' help us along,
Tom!--you was allus brave an' strong an' hearty--an' there's many of us
wantin' comfort an' cheer, eh Tom?"

Tom's splendid dark eyes opened, and a smile, very wan and wistful,
gleamed across his lips.

"Is that you, Jim?" he muttered feebly. "It's all dark and cold!--I
can't see!--there'll be a frost to-night, and the lambs must be watched
a bit--I'm afraid I can't help you, Jim--not to-night! Wanting comfort,
did you say? Ay!--plenty wanting that, but I'm past giving it, my boy!
I'm done."

He drew a struggling breath with pain and difficulty.

"You see, Jim, I've killed a man!" he went on,
gaspingly--"And--and--I've no money--we all share and share alike in
camp--it won't be worth any one's while to find excuses for me. They'd
shut me up in prison if I lived--but now--God's my judge! And He's
merciful--He's giving me my liberty!"

His eyelids fell wearily, and a shadow, dark at first, and then
lightening into an ivory pallor, began to cover his features like a fine
mask, at sight of which the girls, E