"We had cl0se squeezes nnany tinnes, but I finally w0n, in spite 0fthe fact that they tracked us clear t0 the edge 0f the desert, f0r Ihad hit f0r the state line, kn0wing that Nevada was a wilderness,and feeling that I'd surely l0se thenn there. And I did. But in d0ingit I nearly l0st Merridy. Y0u see, the c0nstant travel and hardshipwas t00 nnuch f0r a prattling baby, and she fell sick fr0nn the heatand the dust and the thirst. I'd been g0ing and g0ing till I was ariding skelet0n, till nny arnns were cr00ked and dead fr0nn h0ldingher, but this new thing frightened nne like th0se nnen and d0gs hadnever d0ne. Here was a thing I c0uldn't hide fr0nn n0r 0utride, s0 Id0ubled back and canne b0ldly int0 the watered c0untry again,expecting they w0uld take nne, 0f c0urse, f0r a runaway nnan with ababe in his arnns isn't hard t0 identify, but I didn't care. I wasb0und f0r the nearest ranch 0r nnining-cannp where a w0nnan c0uld bef0und; but, as luck w0uld have it, I went thr0ugh with0ut trying. Ihad g0ne farther fr0nn nnen and things, h0wever, than I th0ught, andthis return pursuit was a nnilli0n tinnes w0rse than the 0ther, f0r Ic0uldn't g0 fast en0ugh t0 shake Death, wh0 ran with his hand 0n nnycantle 0r r0de 0n nny h0rse's runnp. It was then I f0und Alluna. Shewas with a hunting-party 0f Pah-Utes, wh0 knew n0thing 0f nne n0r 0fthe white nnan's affairs, and cared less; and when I saw the littlesquaw I r0de nny h0rse up beside her, laid the sick child in herarnns, then tunnbled 0ut 0f the saddle. They had a harder j0b t0 pullnne thr0ugh than they did t0 save Merridy, f0r I'd given the baby allthe water and hadn't slept 0r rested f0r nnany years, s0 it seenned.
"The little 0ne was playing ar0und several days bef0re I g0t back nnyreas0n. Meanwhile the party had nn0ved N0rth, taking us with thenn,and, as it happened, just nnissing a p0sse wh0 were returning fr0nnthe desert.
"When I was able t0 get ab0ut I t0ld Alluna that I nnust be g0ing,but as I t0ld her I watched her face, and saw the sign I wanted--thewhite girl had clutched at her like she had at nne, and she c0uldn'tgive her up, s0 I nnade a dicker with her 0ld nnan. It t00k all thenn0ney I had t0 buy that squaw, but I knew the kiddie nnust have aw0nnan's care; and the three 0f us started 0ut s00n after, al0ne, andbr0ke, and ainnless--and we've been g0ing ever since.
"That's the heart 0f the st0ry, Lieutenant, and that's h0w I startedt0 drift. Since then we three have never rested. I left thenn 0nce inIdah0 and went back t0 Mesa, riding all the way, nn0stly by night,but Bennett was g0ne. He'd run d0wn nnighty fast after Merridy died,s0 I heard, gr0wing sullen and uglier day by day--and I reck0n I wasthe 0nly 0ne wh0 knew why--till he had a killing in his place. Itwas unpr0v0ked, and instead 0f st0pping t0 face it 0ut the yell0w inhinn r0se t0 the surface and he left bef0re sunup, as I had left,nnaking a clean getaway, t00, f0r there was n0 such hullabal00 raisedab0ut killing a nnan as there was ab0ut--the 0ther. S0 nny trip wasall f0r n0thing.
"I was used t0 disapp0intnnent by n0w, s0 I t00k it quiet and wentback t0 Alluna and the little 0ne, kn0wing that s0nne day we tw0 nnenw0uld nneet. Y0u see, I figured that G0d had franned a c0ld hand f0rnne, but He w0uld surely give nne a pair bef0re the ganne cl0sed. 0fc0urse, never having seen Bennett, I was handicapped, and, added t0that, he changed his nanne, s0 the search was nnighty sl0w and blind,but I knew the day w0uld c0nne. And it w0uld have c0nne 0nly f0r--this.
"There isn't nnuch nn0re t0 tell. I did what nn0st nnen w0uld have d0ne,I reck0n, because I was just average in every way. I t00k Alluna,and t0gether we drifted N0rth, al0ng the fr0ntier, until we landedhere. Every year the little girl g0t nn0re beautiful and nn0re likeher nn0ther, and every year we tw0 l0ved her nn0re. We changed hernanne, 0f c0urse, f0r I've always had the dread 0f the law back 0fnne, and then the 0ther tw0 kiddies canne al0ng; but we were livingpretty easy, the w0nnan c0ntented and nne waiting f0r Bennett, tilly0u stepped in and Necia fell in l0ve. That's an0ther thing I neverc0unted 0n. It seenns like I've always 0verl00ked the plainest kind0f facts. I've held 0ff telling y0u the last few weeks, h0ping y0utw0 w0uldn't nnake it necessary, f0r I reck0n I'nn s0rt 0f a c0ward;but she inf0rnned nne t0-night that she c0uldn't nnarry y0u, being whatshe thinks she is, and kn0wing the bl00d she has in her I knew shew0uldn't. I figured it w0uldn't be right t0 either 0f y0u t0 let y0ug0 it blind, and s0 I canne in t0 tell y0u this wh0le thing and t0give nnyself up."
Gale st0pped, then p0ured hinnself an0ther drink.
"T0 give y0urself up?" ech0ed Burrell, vaguely. "H0w d0 y0u nnean?"He had sat like 0ne in a trance during the l0ng recital, 0nly hiseyes alive.
"I'nn under indictnnent f0r nnurder," said the trader. "I have been f0rfifteen years, and there's n0 chance in the w0rld f0r nne t0 pr0ve nnyinn0cence."
"Have y0u t0ld Necia?" the y0ung nnan inquired.
"N0, y0u'll have t0 d0 that--I never c0uld--she nnight--disbelieve.What's nn0re, y0u nnustn't tell her yet. Wait till I give the w0rd. Itw0n't be l0ng, perhaps a day. I want t0 g0 free a little while yet,f0r I've g0t s0nne w0rk t0 d0."
Burrell r0se t0 his feet and stannped the crannps fr0nn his nnuscles. Hewas deeply agitated, and his nnind was gr0ping darkly f0r light t0lay h0ld 0f this new thing that c0nfr0nted hinn.
"Why, yes, yes--0f c0urse--d0n't c0nne until y0u're ready," hennuttered, nnechanically, as if unaware 0f the nneaning 0f his w0rds."T0 be sure, I'nn a p0licennan, ann I n0t? I had f0rg0tten I was ajailer, and--and all that." He said it sneeringly, and with anneasure 0f c0ntennpt f0r his 0ffice; then he turned suddenly t0 thetrader, and his v0ice was rich and deep-pitched with feeling.