aused,
and, when Stark made no answer, continued, "Well, let's get at it." But
still the other made no move. "You've had all the best of it for twenty
years," Gale went on, in his level voice, "but to-night I get even. By
God! I've lived for this."

"That shot in Lee's cabin?" recalled Stark, with the light of a new
understanding. "You knew me then?"

"Yes."

Stark took a deep breath. "What a damned fool I've been!"

"Your devil's magic saved you that time, but it won't stop this." The
trader rose slowly with the knife in his hand.

"You'll hang for this!" said the gambler, unsteadily, at which Gale's
face blazed.

"Ha!" exclaimed the trader, exultingly; "you can feel it in your guts
already, eh?"

With an effort Stark began to assemble his wits as the trader continued:

"You saddled your dirty work on me, Ben Stark, and I've carried it for
fifteen years; but to-night I put you out the way you put her out. An
eye for an eye!"

"I didn't kill her," said the man.

"Don't lie. This isn't a grand jury. We're all alone."

"I didn't kill her."

"So? The yellow is showing up at last. I knew you were a coward, but I
didn't think you'd be afraid to own it to yourself. That thing must
have lived with you."

"Look here," said Stark, curiously, "do you really think I killed
Merridy?"

"I know it. A man who would strike a woman would kill her--if he had
the nerve."

Stark had now mastered himself, and smiled.

"My hate worked better than I thought. Well, well, that made it hard
for you, didn't it?" he chuckled. "I supposed, of course, you knew--"

"Knew?" Gale's face showed emotion for the first time. "Knew what--?"
His hands were quivering slightly.

"She killed herself."

"So help you God?"

"So help me God!"

There was a long pause.

"Why?"

"Say, it's kind of funny our standing here talking about that thing,
isn't it? Well, if you want to know, I came home early that night--I
guess you hadn't been gone two hours--and the surprise did it, more
than anything else, I suppose--she hadn't prepared a story. I got
suspicious, named you at random, and hit the nail on the head. She
broke down, thought I knew more than I did, and--and then there was
hell to pay."

"Go on."

"I suppose I talked bad and made threats--I was crazy over you--till
she must have thought I meant to kill her, but I didn't. No. I never
was quite that bad. Anyhow, she did it herself."

Gale's face was like chalk, and his voice