taking the Virginian
there.

"These hawsses," said he, "are played out. We'll climb up to camp afoot.
And just keep behind me for the present."

We obeyed our natural leader, and made ready for whatever we might be
going into. We passed up the steep bank and came again in sight of the
door. It was still wide open. We stood, and felt a sort of silence which
the approach of two new-comers could not break. They joined us. They
had been coming home from hunting, and had plainly heard a shot here.
We stood for a moment more after learning this, and then one of the
men called out the names of Hank and Willomene. Again we--or I at
least--felt that same silence, which to my disturbed imagination seemed
to be rising round us as mists rise from water.

"There's nobody in there," stated the Virginian. "Nobody that's alive,"
he added. And he crossed the cabin and walked into the door.

Though he made no gesture, I saw astonishment pass through his body, as
he stopped still; and all of us came after him. There hung the crucifix,
with a round hole through the middle of it. One of the men went to it
and took it down; and behind it, sunk in the log, was the bullet. The
cabin was but a single room, and every object that it contained could be
seen at a glance; nor was there hiding-room for anything. On the floor
lay the axe from the wood-pile; but I will not tell of its appearance.
So he had shot her crucifix, her Rock of Ages, the thing which enabled
her to bear her life, and that lifted her above life; and she--but there
was the axe to show what she had done then. Was this cabin really empty?
I looked more slowly about, half dreading to find that I had overlooked
something. But it was as the Virginian had said; nobody was there.

As we were wondering, there was a noise above our heads, and I was not
the only one who started and stared. It was the parrot; and we stood
away in a circle, looking up at his cage. Crouching flat on the floor of
the cage, his wings huddled tight to his body, he was swinging his head
from side to side; and when he saw that we watched him, he began a low
croaking and monotonous utterance, which never changed, but remained
rapid and continuous. I heard McLean whisper to the Virginian, "You bet
he knows."

The Virginian stepped to the door, and then he bent to the gravel
and beckoned us to come and see. Among the recent footprints at the
threshold the man's boot-heel was plain, as well as the woman's broad