and her disgrace； not with the baffling presence of Jean Isbel； but
with the mysteries of her own soul。 Wonder of all wonders was it that
such love had been born for her。 Shame worse than all other shame was
it that she should kill it by a poisoned lie。 By what monstrous motive
had she done that？ To sting Isbel as he had stung her！ But that had
been base。 Never could she have stopped so low except in a moment of
tremendous tumult。 If she had done sore injury to Isbel what bad she
done to herself？ How strange； how tenacious had been his faith in her
honor！ Could she ever forget？ She must forget it。 But she could never
forget the way he had scorned those vile men in Greaves's storethe
way he had beaten Bruce for defiling her namethe way he had stubbornly
denied her own insinuations。 She was a woman now。 She had learned
something of the complexity of a woman's heart。 She could not change
nature。 And all her passionate being thrilled to the manhood of her
defender。 But even while she thrilled she acknowledged her hate。
It was the contention between the two that caused the pang in her
breast。 〃An' now what's left for me？〃 murmured Ellen。 She did not
analyze the significance of what had prompted that query。 The most
incalculable of the day's disclosures was the wrong she had done
herself。 〃Shore I'm done for； one way or another。 。 。 。 I must
stick to Dad。 。 。 。 or kill myself？〃
Ellen rode Spades back to the ranch。 She rode like the wind。 When she
swung out of the trail into the open meadow in plain sight of the ranch
her appearance created a commotion among the loungers before the cabin。
She rode Spades at a full run。
〃Who's after you？〃 yelled her father； as she pulled the black to a halt。
Jorth held a rifle。 Daggs； Colter； the other Jorths were there；
likewise armed； and all watchful； strung with expectancy。
〃Shore nobody's after me；〃 replied Ellen。 〃Cain't I run a horse round
heah without being chased？〃
Jorth appeared both incensed and relieved。
〃Hah！ 。 。 。 What you mean； girl； runnin' like a streak right down
on us？ You're actin' queer these days； an' you look queer。
I'm not likin' it。〃
〃Reckon these are queer timesfor the Jorths；〃 replied Ellen；
sarcastically。
〃Daggs found strange horse tracks crossin' the meadow；〃 said her father。
〃An' that worried us。 Some one's been snoopin' round the ranch。 An'
when we seen you runnin' so wild we shore thought you was bein' chased。〃
〃No。 I was only trying out Spades to see how fast he could run；〃
returned Ellen。 〃Reckon when we do get chased it'll take some
running to catch me。〃
〃Haw！ Haw！〃 roared Daggs。 〃It shore will； Ellen。〃
〃Girl； it's not only your runnin' an' your looks that's queer；〃
declared Jorth； in dark perplexity。 〃You talk queer。〃
〃Shore； dad； y'u're not used to hearing spades called spades；〃
said Ellen； as she dismounted。
〃Humph！〃 ejaculated her father； as if convinced of the uselessness
of trying to understand a woman。 〃Say； did you see any strange
horse tracks？〃 〃
〃I reckon I did。 And I know who made them。〃
Jorth stiffened。 All the men behind him showed a sudden intensity of
suspense。
〃Who？〃 demanded Jorth。
〃Shore it was Jean Isbel；〃 replied Ellen； coolly。 〃He came up heah
tracking his black horse。〃
〃JeanIsbeltrackin'hisblack horse； 〃 repeated her father。
〃Yes。 He's not overrated as a tracker； that's shore。〃
Blank silence ensued。 Ellen cast a slow glance over her father and
the others； then she began to loosen the cinches of her saddle。
Presently Jorth burst the silence with a curse； and Daggs followed
with one of his sardonic laughs。
〃Wal； boss； what did I tell you？〃 he drawled。
Jorth strode to Ellen； and； whirling her around with a strong hand；
he held her facing him。
〃Did y'u see Isbel？〃
〃Yes；〃 replied Ellen； just as sharply as her father had asked。
〃Did y'u talk to him？〃
〃Yes。〃
〃What did he want up heah？〃
〃I told y'u。 He was tracking the black horse y'u stole。〃
Jorth's hand and arm dropped limply。 His sallow face turned a livid hue。
Amaze merged into discomfiture and that gave place to rage。 He raised
a hand as if to strike Ellen。 And suddenly Daggs's long arm shot out
to clutch Jorth's wrist。 Wrestling to free himself； Jorth cursed under
his breath。 〃Let go； Daggs；〃 he shouted； stridently。 〃Am I drunk that
you grab me？ 〃
〃Wal； y'u ain't drunk； I reckon；〃 replied the rustler； with sarcasm。
〃But y'u're shore some things I'll reserve for your private ear。〃
Jorth gained a semblance of composure。 But it was evident that he
labored under a shock。
〃Ellen； did Jean Isbel see this black horse？〃
〃Yes。 He asked me how I got Spades an' I told him。〃
〃Did he say Spades belonged to him？〃
〃Shore I reckon he； proved it。 Y'u can always tell a horse that loves
its master。〃
〃Did y'u offer to give Spades back？〃
〃Yes。 But Isbel wouldn't take him。〃
〃Hah！ 。 。 。 An' why not？〃
〃He said he'd rather I kept him。 He was about to engage in a dirty；
blood…spilling deal； an' he reckoned he'd not be able to care for a
fine horse。 。 。 。 I didn't want Spades。 I tried to make Isbel take him。
But he rode off。 。 。 。 And that's all there is to that。〃
〃Maybe it's not；〃 replied Jorth； chewing his mustache and eying Ellen
with dark； intent gaze。 〃Y'u've met this Isbel twice。〃
〃It wasn't any fault of mine；〃 retorted Ellen。
〃I heah he's sweet on y'u。 How aboot that？〃
Ellen smarted under the blaze of blood that swept to neck and cheek
and temple。 But it was only memory which fired this shame。 What her
father and his crowd might think were matters of supreme indifference。
Yet she met his suspicious gaze with truthful blazing eyes。
〃I heah talk from Bruce an' Lorenzo；〃 went on her father。 〃An' Daggs heah〃
〃Daggs nothin'！〃 interrupted that worthy。 〃Don't fetch me in。 I said
nothin' an' I think nothin'。〃
〃Yes； Jean Isbel was sweet on me； dad 。 。 。 but he will never be again；〃
returned Ellen； in low tones。 With that she pulled her saddle off
Spades and； throwing it over her shoulder； she walked off to her cabin。
Hardly had she gotten indoors when her father entered。
〃Ellen； I didn't know that horse belonged to Isbel；〃 he began； in the
swift； hoarse； persuasive voice so familiar to Ellen。 〃I swear I didn't。
I bought himtraded with Slater for him。 。 。 。 Honest to God； I never
had any idea he was stolen！ 。 。 。 Why； when y'u said 'that horse y'u
stole；' I felt as if y'u'd knifed me。 。 。 。〃
Ellen sat at the table and listened while her father paced to and fro
and； by his restless action and passionate speech； worked himself into
a frenzy。 He talked incessantly； as if her silence was condemnatory
and as if eloquence alone could convince her of his honesty。 It
seemed that Ellen saw and heard with keener faculties than ever before。
He had a terrible thirst for her respect。 Not so much for her love；
she divined； but that she would not see how he had fallen！
She pitied him with all her heart。 She was all he had； as he was all
the world to her。 And so； as she gave ear to his long； illogical
rigmarole of argument and defense； she slowly found that her pity
and her love were making vital decisions for her。 As of old； in
poignant moments； her father lapsed at last into a denunciation of
the Isbels and what they had brought him to。 His sufferings were real；
at least； in Ellen's presence。 She was the only link that bound him
to long…past happier times。 She was her mother over againthe woman
who had betrayed another man for him and gone with him to her ruin
and death。
〃Dad； don't go on so；〃 said Ellen； breaking in upon her father's rant。
〃I will be true to y'uas my mother was。 。 。 。 I am a Jorth。 Your
place is my placeyour fight is my fight。 。 。 。 Never speak of the
past to me again。 If God spares us through this feud we will go away
and begin all over again； far off where no one ever heard of a Jorth。
。 。 。 If we're not spared we'll at least have had our whack at these
damned Isbels。〃
CHAPTER VII
During June Jean Isbel did not ride far away from Grass Valley。
Another attempt had been made upon Gaston Isbel's life。 Another
cowardly shot had been fired from ambush； this time from a pine
thicket bordering the trail that led to Blaisdell's ranch。 Blaisdell
heard this shot； so near his home was it fired。 No trace of the hidden
foe could be found。 The 'ground all around that vicinity bore a carpet
of pine needles which showed no trace of footprints。 The supposition
was that this cowardly attempt had been perpetrated； or certainly
instigated； by the Jorths。 But there was no proof。 And Gaston Isbel
had other enemies in the Tonto Basin besides the sheep clan。 The old
man raged like a lion about this sneaking attack on him。 And his friend
Blaisdell urged an immediate gathering of their kin and friends。 〃Let's
quit ranchin' till this trouble's settled；〃 he declared。 〃Let's arm an'
ride the trails an' meet these men half…way。 。 。 。 It won't help our
side any to wait till you're shot in the back。〃 More than one of
Isbel's supporters offered the same advice。
〃No； we'll wait till we know for shore；〃 was the stubborn cat