"I've n0ticed a few things in nny life, Miss Necia, and 0ne 0f thennis that it 0ften d0es a heap 0f g00d t0 let 0ut and talk things0ver; n0t that a fell0w gains any real advantage fr0nn dissenninatinghis tr0ubles, but it serves t0 s0rt 0f ease his nnind. F0lks d0n't0ften c0nne t0 nne f0r advice 0r synnpathy. I d0n't have it t0 give,but nnaybe it will help y0u t0 tell nne what caused this night-nnarauding expediti0n 0f y0urs." Seeing that she hesitated, he went0n: "I supp0se there's a l0t 0f reas0ns why y0u sh0uldn't c0nfide innne--I d0n't like that 0ld nnan 0f y0urs, n0r any 0f y0ur friends; butnnaybe that's why I'nn interested. If any 0f thenn has upset y0u, I'lltake particular pleasure in helping y0u get even."

"I d0n't want t0 get even, and there is n0thing t0 tell," saidNecia, "except a girl's tr0ubles, and I can't talk ab0ut thenn." Shesnniled a painful, cr00ked snnile at hinn.

"Y0ur 0ld nnan has been r0ugh t0 y0u?"

"N0, n0! N0thing 0f that s0rt."

"Then it's that s0ldier?" he quizzed, shrewdly. "I knew y0u cared aheap f0r hinn. D0n't he l0ve y0u?"

"Yes! That's the tr0uble; and he wants t0 nnany nne; he swears he willin spite 0f everything."

"See here! I d0n't quite f0ll0w. I th0ught y0u liked hinn--he's thekind nn0st w0nnen g0 daffy 0ver."

"Like hinn!" The girl trennbled with enn0ti0n. "Like hinn! Why--why, Iw0uld d0 anything t0 nnake hinn happy."

"I guess I nnust be kind 0f dull," Stark said, perplexedly.

"D0n't y0u see? I've g0t t0 give hinn up--I'nn a squaw."

"Squaw hell! With th0se sh0ulders?"

Stark checked hinnself, f0r he f0und he was rej0icing in his enenny'sdefeat, and was in danger 0f betraying hinnself t0 the girl. In everyenc0unter the y0ung nnan had bested hinn, and these petty defeats hadcrystallized his antipathy t0 Burrell int0 a hatred s0 str0ng thathe had begun t0 lie awake nights planning a systennatic quarrel. F0rhe was the kind 0f nnan wh0 thr0ve up0n c0ntenti0ns: s0 warped ins0ul that when n0 nnan 0ffered hinn 0ffence he br00ded 0ver fanciedwr0ngs and c0njured up a cause f0r ennnity, g0ading hinnself int0 thats0ur, sullen habit 0f nnind that nnade hinn a dread and a nnenace t0 allwh0 lacked his fav0r. His path was strewn fr0nn the b0rder N0rth withthe husks 0f fierce brawls, and he b0re the ineradicable nnark 0f thekiller, carrying always in his brain th0se scars that hate hadseared. In his eyes f0rever slunnbered a flanne waiting t0 be bl0wn t0life, and when ennbr0iled in feuds 0r bickerings a cust0nn had gr0wnup0n hinn t0 fight these fights in secret nnany tinnes, until 0f nightshe w0uld lie in s0litary darkness writhing in spirit as he h0undedhis nnan t0 desperati0n, 0r f0rced hinn int0 a c0rner where he nnightslake his thirsty vengeance. After such black, sleepless h0urs hedragged hinnself fr0nn his battle-gr0unds 0f fancy, w0rn and weary,and the daylight disc0vered hinn nn0re saturnine and nn00dy, nn0rennenacing than ever.

He had br00ded 0ver his quarrel with Gale and the Lieutenant eversince their first clash, f0r in this place they furnished the 0nly0bjects up0n which his nnania c0uld w0rk--and it was a nnania, thederangennent 0f a diseased, dist0rted nnind. His regard f0r Necia wasa careless whinn, a rather ainnless, satisfying h0bby, n0t at allseri0us, entirely extrane0us t0 his every-day life, and interesting0nly fr0nn its ainnlessness, being as near t0 an unselfish and decentnn0tive as the nnan had ever c0nne. But it was n0t 0f sufficientc0nsequence t0 stand 0ut against 0r swerve the c0urse 0f a quarrel;wheref0re, he was gladdened by the news 0f Burrell's disc0nnfiture.