“Shortynevercouldropeahorsealone，“Iremarked。
TheVirginiangrinned。“Shorty？Well，ShortysoundsaswellasOunces。Butthatain’tthemistakeI’mthinkinghemade。“
Iknewthathewouldnottellme，butthatwasjustlikehim。Forthelasttwentyminutes，havingsomethingtodo，hehadbecomehimselfagain，hadcometoearthfromthatunsafecountryofthebrainwherebeckonedaspectralSteve。Nothingwasleftbutinhiseyesthatquestionwhichpainhadsetthere；andIwonderedifhisfriendofold，whoseemedsobraveandamiable，wouldhavedealthimthathurtatthesolemnendhadheknownwhatapoisonedwounditwouldbe。
Wecameoutonaridgefromwhichwecouldlookdown。“Youalwayswanttorideonhighplaceswhenthere’sfolksaroundwhoseintentionsain’tbeendeclared，“saidtheVirginian。Andwewentalongourridgeforsomedistance。Then，suddenlyheturneddownandguidedusalmostatoncetothetrail。“That’sit，“hesaid。
“See。“
Thetrackofahorsewasveryfreshonthetrail。Butitwasagallopinghorsenow，andnobootprintswerekeepingupwithitanymore。Nobootscouldhavekeptupwithit。Theriderwasmakingtimeto-day。Yesterdaythathorsehadbeenriddenupintothemountainsatleisure。Whowasonhim？Therewasnevertobeanycertainanswertothat。Butwhowasnotonhim？Weturnedbackinourjourney，backintotheheartofthatbasinwiththetallpeaksallrisingliketeethinthecloudlesssun，andthesnow-fieldsshiningwhite。
“Hewasafraidofus，“saidtheVirginian。“Hedidnotknowhowmanyofushadcomeuphere。Threehawssesmightmeanadozenmorearound。“
Wefollowedthebackwardtrailinamongthepines，andcameafteratimeupontheircamp。AndthenIunderstoodthemistakethatShortyhadmade。Hehadreturnedafterhisfailure，andhadtoldthatothermanofthepresenceofnewhorses。Heshouldhavekeptthisasecret；forhastehadtobemadeatonce，andtwocannotgetawayquicklyupononehorse。ButitwaspoorShorty’slastblunder。Helaytherebytheirextinctfire，withhiswistful，lost-dogfaceupward，andhisthickyellowhairunpartedasithadalwaysbeen。Themurderhadbeendonefrombehind。Weclosedtheeyes。
“Therewasnonaturalharminhim，“saidtheVirginian。“Butyoumustdoathingwellinthiscountry。“
Therewasnotatrace，notaclew，oftheotherman；andwefoundaplacewherewecouldsooncoverShortywithearth。Asweliftedhimwesawthenewspaperthathehadbeenreading。Hehadbroughtitfromtheclumpofcottonwoodswhereheandtheothermanhadmadealatervisitthanourstobesureofthefateoftheirfriends——orpossiblyinhopesofanotherhorse。Evidently，whenthepartyweresurprised，theyhadbeenabletoescapewithonlyone。AllofthenewspaperwastheresavetheleafIhadpickedup——allandmore，forthishadpencilwritingonitthatwasnotmine，nordidIatfirsttakeitin。Ithoughtitmightbeaclew，andIreaditaloud。“Good-by，Jeff，“itsaid。“Icouldnothavespoketoyouwithoutplayingthebaby。“
“Who’sJeff？“Iasked。ButitcameovermewhenIlookedattheVirginian。Hewasstandingbesidemequitemotionless；andthenheputouthishandandtookthepaper，andstoodstill，lookingatthewords。“SteveusedtocallmeJeff，“hesaid，“becauseI
wasSouthern，Ireckonnobodyelseeverdid。“
Heslowlyfoldedthemessagefromthedead，broughtbythedead，androlleditinthecoatbehindhissaddle。Forahalf-minutehestoodleaninghisforeheaddownagainstthesaddle。AfterthishecamebackandcontemplatedShorty’sfaceawhile。“IwishIcouldthankhim，“hesaid。“IwishIcould。“
WecarriedShortyoverandcoveredhimwithearth，andonthatlaidafewpinebranches；thenwetookupourjourney，andbytheendoftheforenoonwehadgonesomedistanceuponourtrailthroughtheTetonMountains。Butinfrontofusthehoofprintseverheldtheirstrideofhaste，drawingfartherfromusthroughthehours，untilbythenextafternoonsomewherewenoticedtheywerenolongertobeseen；andafterthattheynevercameuponthetrailagain。
SomewhereattheeasternbaseoftheTetonsdidthosehoofprintsdisappearintoamountainsanctuarywheremanycrookedpathshaveled。Hethattookanotherman’spossessions，orhethattookanotherman’slife，couldalwaysrunhereifthelaworpopularjusticeweretoohotathisheels。Steeprangesandforestswalledhiminfromtheworldonallfoursides，almostwithoutabreak；andeveryentrancelaythroughintricatesolitudes。SnakeRivercameintotheplacethroughcanyonsandmournfulpinesandmarshes，tothenorth，andwentoutatthesouthbetweenformidablechasms。Everytributarytothisstreamroseamonghighpeaksandridges，anddescendedintothevalleybywell-nighimpenetrablecourses:PacificCreekfromTwoOceanPass，BuffaloForkfromnopassatall，BlackRockfromtheTo-wo-ge-teePass——allthese，andmanymore，werethewatersofloneliness，amongwhosethousandhiding-placesitwaseasytobelost。Downinthebottomwasaspreadoflevelland，broadandbeautiful，withtheblueandsilverTetonsrisingfromitschainoflakestothewest，andotherheightspresidingoveritsothersides。Andupanddownandinandoutofthishollowsquareofmountains，wherewatersplentifullyflowed，andgameandnature’pastureabounded，thereskulkedanomadicanddistrustfulpopulation。
Thisinduetimebuiltcabins，tookwives，begotchildren，andcametospeakofitselfas“ThehonestsettlersofJackson’sHole。“Itisacommodioustitle，anddoubtlessto-daymoreaccuratethanitwasonce。
Intothisplacethehoofprintsdisappeared。Notmanycabinswereyetbuiltthere；buttheunknownriderofthehorseknewwellthathewouldfindshelterandwelcomeamongthefelonsofhisstripe。Lawandordermightguesshisnamecorrectly，buttherewasnonextstep，forlackofevidence；andhewouldwait，whoeverhewas，untiltherageofpopularjustice，whichhadbeenpursuinghimandhisbrotherthieves，shouldsubside。Then，feelinghiswaygraduallywithprudence，hewouldlethimselfbeseenagain。
Andnow，asmysteriouslyashehadmeltedaway，rumorpassedoverthecountry。Notongueseemedtobeheardtellingthefirstnews；
thenewswasthere，oneday，amatterofwhisperedknowledge。OnSunkCreekandonBearCreek，andelsewherefarandwide，beforementalkedmenseemedsecretlytoknowthatSteve，andEd，andShorty，wouldneveragainbeseen。Ridersmeteachotherintheroadanddrewreintodiscusstheevent，anditsbearinguponthecattleinterests。Intownsaloonsmentookeachotheraside，andmutteredoveritincorners。
ThusitreachedtheearsofMollyWood，beginninginaveiledandharmlessshape。
Aneighborjoinedherwhenshewasoutridingbyherself。
“Goodmorning，“saidhe。
Don’tyoufinditlonesome？“Andwhensheansweredlightly，hecontinued，meaningwell:“You’llbehavingcompanyagainsoonnow。Hehasfinishedhisjob。Wishhe’dfinisheditMORE！Well，goodday。“
Mollythoughtthesewordsover。Shecouldnottellwhytheygaveherastrangefeeling。ToherVermontmindnosuspicionofthetruthwouldcomenaturally。Butsuspicionbegantocomewhenshereturnedfrownherride。For，enteringthecabinoftheTaylors’，shecameuponseveralpeoplewhoalldroppedtheirtalkshort，andwerenotskilfulatresumingit。Shesatthereawhile，uneasilyseverethatallofthemknewsomethingwhichshedidnotknow，andwasnotintendedtoknow。Athoughtpiercedher:hadanythinghappenedtoherlover？No；thatwasnotit。Themanshehadmetonhorsebackspokeofherhavingcompanysoonagain。Howsoon？shewondered。Hehadbeenunabletosaywhenheshouldreturn，andnowshesuddenlyfeltthatagreatsilencehadenvelopedhimlately:notthemeresilenceofabsence，ofreceivingnomessagesorletters，butanothersortofsilencewhichnow，atthismoment，wasweighingstrangelyuponher。
Andthenthenextdayitcameoutattheschoolhouse。Duringthatintervalknownasrecess，shebecameawarethroughtheopenwindowthattheywereplayinganewgameoutside。Lustyscreechesofdelightreachedherears。
“Jump！“avoiceordered。“Jump！“
“Idon’twantto，“returnedanothervoice，uneasily。
“Yousaidyouwould，“saidseveral。“Didn’thesayhewould？Ah，hesaidhewould。Jumpnow，quick！“
“ButIdon’twantto，“quaveredthevoiceinatonesodismalthatMollywentouttosee。
TheyhadgotBobCarmodyonthetopofthegatebyatree，witharoperoundhisneck，theotherendofwhichfourlittleboyswerejoyouslyholding。Therestlookedoneagerly，threelittlegirlsclaspingtheirhands，andspringingupanddownwithexcitement。
“Why，children！“exclaimedMolly。
“He’ssaidhisprayersandeverything，“theyallscreamedout。
“He’sarustler，andwe’relynchin’him。Jump，Bob！“
“Idon’twant——“
“Ah，coward，won’ttakehismedicine！“
“Lethimgo，boys，“saidMolly。“Youmightreallyhurthim。“Andsoshebrokeupthisgame，butnotwithoutgeneralprotestfromWyoming’syoungvoice。
“Hesaidhewould，“HenryDowassuredher。
AndGeorgeTaylorfurtherexplained:“Hesaidhe’dbeSteve。ButStevedidn’tscare。“ThenGeorgeproceededtotelltheschoolmarm，eagerly，allaboutSteveandEd，whiletheschoolmarmlookedathimwitharigidface。
“Youpromisedyourmotheryou’dnottell，“saidHenryDow，afterallhadbeentold。“You’vegoneanddoneit，“andHenrywaggedhisheadnasuperiormanner。
ThusdidtheNewEnglandgirllearnwhathercow-boyloverhaddone。Shespokeofittonobody；shekepthermiserytoherself。
Hewasnottheretodefendhisact。Perhapsinawaythatwasbetter。ButthesewerehoursofdarknessindeedtoMollyWood。
OnthatvisittoDunbarton，whenatthefirstsightofherlover’sphotographinfrontierdressheraunthadexclaimed，“I
supposetherearedayswhenhedoesnotkillpeople，“shehadcriedinallgoodfaithandmirth，“Heneverkilledanybody！“
Later，whenhewaslyinginhercabinweakfromhisbulletwound，buteachdaystrongerbeneathhernursing，atacertainwordofhistherehadgonethroughherashudderofdoubt。Perhapsinhismanywanderingshehaddonesuchathinginself-defence，orinthecauseofpopularjustice。Butshehadpushedtheideaawayfromherhastily，backintothedaysbeforeshehadeverseenhim。Ifthishadeverhappened，lethernotknowofit。Then，asacruelrewardforhiscandorandhislayinghimselfbaretohermother，thelettersfromBenningtonhadusedthatveryletterofhisasaweaponagainsthim。HersisterSarahhadquotedfromit。
“Hesayswithapparentpride，“wroteSarah，“thathehasneverkilledforpleasureorprofit。’Thosearehisexactwords，andyoumayguesstheirdreadfuleffectuponmother。Icongratulateyou，mydear，onhavingchosenaprotectorsoscrupulous。“
Thushereldersisterhadseenfittowrite；andlettersfromlessnearrelativesmadehintsatthesamesubject。Soshewascompelledtoacceptthispieceofknowledgethrustuponher。Yetstill，still，thoseeventshadbeenbeforesheknewhim。Theywereremote，withoutdetailorcontext。Hehadbeenlittlemorethanaboy。Nodoubtitwastosavehisownlife。Andsosheborethehurtofherdiscoveryallthemoreeasilybecausehersister’stonerousedhertodefendhercow-boy。
Butnow！
Inhercabin，alone，aftermidnight，shearosefromhersleeplessbed，andlightingthecandle，stoodbeforehisphotograph。
“Itisagoodface，“hergreat-aunthadsaid，aftersomestudyofit。Andthesewordswereinhermindnow。Therehislikenessstoodatfulllength，confrontingher:thespursontheboots，thefringedleathernchaparreros，thecoiledropeinhand，thepistolathip，theroughflannelshirt，andthescarfknottedatthethroat——andthenthegraveeyes，lookingather。Itthrilledhertomeetthem，evenso。Shecouldreadlifeintothem。Sheseemedtofeelpassioncomefromthem，andthensomethinglikereproach。Shestoodforalongwhilelookingathim，andthen，beatingherhandstogethersuddenly，sheblewoutherlightandwentbackintobed，butnottosleep。
“You’relookingpale，deary，“saidMrs。Taylortoher，afewdayslater。
“AmI？“
“Andyoudon’teatanything。“
“Oh，yes，Ido。“AndMollyretiredtohercabin。
“George，“saidMrs。Taylor，“youcomehere。“