et finished here. The moment
Stanley Fyles had disappeared he turned back to the half-breed. He saw
Pete take his horse and lead it on to the grass some distance from the
corral fence, and his gun held him covered. Then he watched him go
back to the hut and carefully close the door. After that he watched
him disturb his own footmarks and those of the policeman in the
neighborhood of the doorway.

Charlie moved. The bushes parted, and he made his way into the open.
The half-breed's back was turned. Then, quite suddenly, a deep, harsh
challenge rang out, breaking up entirely the sylvan peace.

"You damned traitor!"

With a leap the half-breed swung about. As he did so the gleaming
barrel of his gun flashed with a sharp report. A bullet whistled
through Charlie Bryant's hat, another tore its way through the sleeve
of his jacket. But before a third could find a vital spot in his body
his own gun spat out certain death. The half-breed flung up his hands,
and, with a sharp oath, his knees crumpled up under him, and he fell
in a heap on the ground.

His face livid with passion, Charlie hurried across the intervening
space. For one moment he stood gazing down upon the fallen man. Then
he aimed a kick of spurning at the dead man's body and moved away.

It was some minutes before he left the precincts of the old corral
with its evil history. He went into the hut and opened the secret
cupboard. It was quite empty, and he closed it again. Then he passed
out, and removed the saddle and bridle from the half-breed's horse,
and turned it loose. Then, after one last look of hatred and loathing
at the dead man, he moved away and vanished among the trees.

CHAPTER XXXV

ON MONDAY NIGHT

Big Brother Bill, after an evening of considerable worry, had retired
to his little lean-to bedroom with its low, camp bedstead. It was
useless sitting up any longer attempting one of those big worrying
"thinks" which, usually, he was rather proud of achieving.

On this occasion thinking led him nowhither. His worries had come
swiftly and significantly. In the first place, on Sunday afternoon he
had been seriously concerned about Helen. It was not until Kate's
going that either he or Helen had realized the girl's lonely position
in the house on the river bank. It came home to them both as they
returned thither at about sundown, to find that neither of the hired
men had shown up again, and the work, even to the "chores" of the
homestead,