when the earth trembled and the heavens seemed to burst asunder；
afforded her strange relief。
The summer days became weeks； and farther and farther they carried Ellen
on the wings of solitude and loneliness until she seemed to look back
years at the self she had hated。 And always； when the dark memory
impinged upon peace； she fought and fought until she seemed to be
fighting hatred itself。 Scorn of scorn and hate of hate！ Yet even
her battles grew to be dreams。 For when the inevitable retrospect
brought back Jean Isbel and his love and her cowardly falsehood she
would shudder a little and put an unconscious hand to her breast and
utterly fail in her fight and drift off down to vague and wistful dreams。
The clean and healing forest； with its whispering wind and imperious
solitude； had come between Ellen and the meaning of the squalid sheep
ranch； with its travesty of home； its tragic owner。 And it was coming
between her two selves； the one that she had been forced to be and the
other that she did not knowthe thinker； the dreamer； the romancer；
the one who lived in fancy the life she loved。
The summer morning dawned that brought Ellen strange tidings。 They
must have been created in her sleep； and now were realized in the
glorious burst of golden sun； in the sweep of creamy clouds across
the blue； in the solemn music of the wind in the pines； in the wild
screech of the blue jays and the noble bugle of a stag。 These heralded
the day as no ordinary day。 Something was going to happen to her。
She divined it。 She felt it。 And she trembled。 Nothing beautiful；
hopeful； wonderful could ever happen to Ellen Jorth。 She had been born
to disaster； to suffer； to be forgotten； and die alone。 Yet all nature
about her seemed a magnificent rebuke to her morbidness。 The same spirit
that came out there with the thick； amber light was in her。 She lived；
and something in her was stronger than mind。
Ellen went to the door of her cabin； where she flung out her arms；
driven to embrace this nameless purport of the morning。 And a
well…known voice broke in upon her rapture。
〃Wal； lass； I like to see you happy an' I hate myself fer comin'。
Because I've been to Grass Valley fer two days an' I've got news。〃
Old John Sprague stood there； with a smile that did not hide a
troubled look。
〃Oh！ Uncle John！ You startled me；〃 exclaimed Ellen； shocked back
to reality。 And slowly she added： 〃Grass Valley！ News？〃
She put out an appealing hand； which Sprague quickly took in his own；
as if to reassure her。
〃Yes； an' not bad so far as you Jorths are concerned；〃 he replied。
〃The first Jorth…Isbel fight has come off。 。 。 。 Reckon you remember
makin' me promise to tell you if I heerd anythin'。 Wal； I didn't
wait fer you to come up。〃
〃So Ellen heard her voice calmly saying。 What was this lying calm
when there seemed to be a stone hammer at her heart？ The first fight
not so bad for the Jorths！ Then it had been bad for the Isbels。
A sudden； cold stillness fell upon her senses。
〃Let's sit downoutdoors；〃 Sprague was saying。 〃Nice an' sunny this
mornin'。 I declareI'm out of breath。 Not used to walkin'。 An'
besides； I left Grass Valley； in the nightan' I'm tired。 But excoose
me from hangin' round thet village last night！ There was shore〃
〃Whowho was killed？〃 interrupted Ellen； her voice breaking low and deep。
〃Guy Isbel an' Bill Jacobs on the Isbel side； an' Daggs； Craig； an'
Greaves on your father's side；〃 stated Sprague； with something of
awed haste。
〃Ah！〃 breathed Ellen； and she relaxed to sink back against the cabin wall。
Sprague seated himself on the log beside her； turning to face her；
and he seemed burdened with grave and important matters。
〃I heerd a good many conflictin' stories；〃 he said； earnestly。 〃The
village folks is all skeered an' there's no believin' their gossip。
But I got what happened straight from Jake Evarts。 The fight come
off day before yestiddy。 Your father's gang rode down to Isbel's ranch。
Daggs was seen to be wantin' some of the Isbel hosses； so Evarts says。
An' Guy Isbel an' Jacobs ran out in the pasture。 Daggs an' some others
shot them down
〃Killed themthat way？〃 put in Ellen； sharply。
〃So Evarts says。 He was on the ridge an' swears he seen it all。 They
killed Guy an' Jacobs in cold blood。 No chance fer their livesnot
even to fight！ 。 。 。 Wall； hen they surrounded the Isbel cabin。 The
fight last all thet day an' all night an' the next day。 Evarts says
Guy an' Jacobs laid out thar all this time。 An' a herd of hogs broke
in the pasture an' was eatin' the dead bodies 。 。 。〃
〃My God！〃 burst out Ellen。 〃Uncle John； y'u shore cain't mean my
father wouldn't stop fightin' long enough to drive the hogs off an'
bury those daid men？〃
〃Evarts says they stopped fightin'； all right； but it was to watch
the hogs；〃 declared Sprague。 〃An' then； what d' ye think？ The
wimminfolks come outthe red…headed one； Guy's wife； an' Jacobs's
wifethey drove the hogs away an' buried their husbands right there
in the pasture。 Evarts says he seen the graves。〃
〃It is the women who can teach these bloody Texans a lesson；〃
declared Ellen； forcibly。
〃Wal； Daggs was drunk； an' he got up from behind where the gang was
hidin'； an' dared the Isbels to come out。 They shot him to pieces。
An' thet night some one of the Isbels shot Craig； who was alone on guard。
。 。 。 An' lastthis here's what I come to tell youJean Isbel slipped
up in the dark on Greaves an' knifed him。〃
〃Why did y'u want to tell me that particularly？〃 asked Ellen； slowly。
〃Because I reckon the facts in the case are queeran' because； Ellen；
your name was mentioned；〃 announced Sprague； positively。
〃My namementioned？〃 echoed Ellen。 Her horror and disgust gave way to
a quickening process of thought； a mounting astonishment。 〃By whom？〃
〃Jean Isbel；〃 replied Sprague； as if the name and the fact were momentous。
Ellen sat still as a stone； her hands between her knees。 Slowly she
felt the blood recede from her face； prickling her kin down below her
neck。 That name locked her thought。
〃Ellen； it's a mighty queer storytoo queer to be a lie；〃 went on
Sprague。 〃Now you listen！ Evarts got this from Ted Meeker。 An' Ted
Meeker heerd it from Greaves； who didn't die till the next day after
Jean Isbel knifed him。 An' your dad shot Ted fer tellin' what he heerd。
。 。 。 No； Greaves wasn't killed outright。 He was cut somethin' turrible
in two places。 They wrapped him all up an' next day packed him in a
wagon back to Grass Valley。 Evarts says Ted Meeker was friendly with
Greaves an' went to see him as he was layin' in his room next to the
store。 Wal； accordin' to Meeker's story； Greaves came to an' talked。
He said he was sittin' there in the dark； shootin' occasionally at
Isbel's cabin； when he heerd a rustle behind him in the grass。 He
knowed some one was crawlin' on him。 But before he could get his gun
around he was jumped by what he thought was a grizzly bear。 But it was
a man。 He shut off Greaves's wind an' dragged him back in the ditch。
An' he said： 'Greaves； it's the half…breed。 An' he's goin' to cut you
FIRST FOR ELLEN JORTH！ an' then for Gaston Isbel！' 。 。 。 Greaves said
Jean ripped him with a bowie knife。 。 。 。 An' thet was all Greaves
remembered。 He died soon after tellin' this story。 He must hev fought
awful hard。 Thet second cut Isbel gave him went clear through him。 。 。 。
Some of the gang was thar when Greaves talked； an' naturally they
wondered why Jean Isbel had said 'first for Ellen Jorth。' 。 。 。 Somebody
remembered thet Greaves had cast a slur on your good name； Ellen。 An'
then they had Jean Isbel's reason fer sayin' thet to Greaves。 It caused
a lot of talk。 An' when Simm Bruce busted in some of the gang haw…hawed
him an' said as how he'd get the third cut from Jean Isbel's bowie。
Bruce was half drunk an' he began to cuss an' rave about Jean Isbel
bein' in love with his girl。 。 。 。 As bad luck would have it； a couple
of more fellars come in an' asked Meeker questions。 He jest got to
thet part； 'Greaves； it's the half…breed； an' he's goin' to cut you
FIRST FOR ELLEN JORTH；' when in walked your father！ 。 。 。 Then it all
had to come outwhat Jean Isbel had said an' donean' why。
How Greaves had backed Simm Bruce in slurrin' you！〃
Sprague paused to look hard at Ellen。
〃Oh！ Thenwhat did dad do？〃 whispered Ellen。
〃He said； 'By God！ half…breed or not； there's one Isbel who's a man！'
An' he killed Bruce on the spot an' gave Meeker a nasty wound。
Somebody grabbed him before he could shoot Meeker again。 They threw
Meeker out an' he crawled to a neighbor's house； where he was when
Evarts seen him。〃
Ellen felt Sprague's rough but kindly hand shaking her。 〃An' now what
do you think of Jean Isbel？〃 he queried。
A great； unsurmountable wall seemed to obstruct Ellen's thought。
It seemed gray in color。 It moved toward her。 It was inside her brain。
〃I tell you； Ellen Jorth；〃 declared the old man； 〃thet Jean Isbel loves
you…loves you turriblyan' he believes you're good。〃
〃Oh nohe doesn't！〃 faltered Ellen。
〃Wal； he jest does。〃
〃Oh； Uncle John； he cain't believe that！〃 she cried。