AtthisIlookedathimblankly。“Itisn’tpossiblethat——“
　　Againhecutmeshortwithalaughalmostsavage。“Youneedn’ttoworryaboutSteve。Hestayedgame。“
　　WhatthenhadbeenthematterthatheshouldkeepseeingSteve——thathisvisionshouldsoobliteratefromhimwhatIstillshiveredat，andsoshakehimnow？ForheseemedtobegrowingmorestirredasIgrewless。Iaskedhimnofurtherquestions，however，andwewentonforseveralminutes，hebroodingalwaysinthesamefashion，untilheresumedwiththehardindifferencethathadbeforesurprisedme:-“SoEdgaveyoufeelings！Dumbagueandsoforth。“
　　“Nodoubtwe’renotmadethesameway，“Iretorted。
　　Hetooknonoticeofthis。“Andyou’dhavebeenmorecomfortableifhe’dactedsameasStevedid。Itcert’nlywasbadseeingEdtakeitthatway，Ireckon。Andyoudidn’tseehimwhenthetimecameforbusiness。Well，here’swhatitis:amanmaybesuchaconfirrnedmiscreantthatkilling’stheonlycureforhim；butstillhe’syourownspecies，andyoudon’twanttohavehimfallaroundandgrabyourlaigsandshowyouhisfearnaked。Itmakesyoufeelashamed。SoEdgaveyoufeelings，andStevemadeeverythingrighteasyforyou！“Therewasironyinhisvoiceashesurveyedme，butitfellawayatonceintosadness。“Bothwasmiscreants。ButifStevehadplayedthecoward，too，itwouldhavebeenawholeheapeasierforme。“Hepausedbeforeadding，“AndStevewasnotamiscreantonce。“
　　Hisvoicehadtrembled，andIfeltthedeepemotionthatseemedtogainuponhimnowthatactionwasoverandhehadnothingtodobutthink。Andhisviewwassimpleenough:youmustdiebrave。
　　Failureisasortoftreasontothebrotherhood，andforfeitspity。ItwasSteve’sperfectbearingthathadcaughthisheartsothatheforgotevenhisscornoftheotherman。
　　Butthiswasbynomeansallthatwastocome。Heharkedbacktothatnotionofaprisonerhelpingtomakeiteasyforhisexecutioner。“Easyplumbtotheend，“hepursued，hismindreviewingtheactsofthemorning。“Why，hetriedtogivemeyournewspaper。Ididn’t——“
　　“Oh，no，“Isaidhastily。“Ihadfinishedwithit。“
　　“Well，hetookdyingasnaturallyashetookliving。Likeamanshould。LikeIhopeto。“Againhelookedatthepicturesinhismind。“Noplay-actingnorlastwords。Hejusttoldgood-bytotheboysasweledhishorseunderthelimb——youneedn’ttolooksodainty，“hebrokeoff。“Youain’tgoingtogetanymoreshockingparticulars。“
　　“IknowI’mwhite-livered，“Isaidwithaspeciesoflaugh。“I
　　nevercrowdandstarewhensomebodyishurtinthestreet。Igetaway。“
　　Hethoughtthisover。“Youdon’tmeanallofthat。You’dnothavespokejustthatwayaboutcrowdingandstaringifyouthoughtwellofthemthatstare。Staringain’tcourage；it’strashycuriosity。Nowyoudidnothavethisthing——“
　　Hehadstretchedouthishandtopoint，butitfell，andhisutterancestopped，andhejerkedhishorsetoastand。Mynervesspranglikeawireathissuddenness，andIlookedwherehewaslooking。Therewerethecottonwoods，closeinfrontofus。Aswehadtravelledandtalkedwehadforgottenthem。Nowtheywereloomingwithinahundredyards；andourtraillaystraightthroughthem。
　　“Let’sgoaroundthem，“saidtheVirginian。
　　Whenwehadcomebackfromourcircuitintothetrailhecontinued:“Youdidnothavethatthingtodo。Butamangoesthroughwithhisresponsibilities——andIreckonyoucould。“
　　“Ihopeso，“Ianswered。“HowaboutEd？“
　　“Hewasnotaman，thoughwethoughthewastillthis。SteveandIstartedpunchingcattletogetherattheBordeauxoutfit，northofCheyenne。Wedideverythingtogetherinthosedays——workandplay。Sixyearsago。Stevehadmanygoodpointsonced。“
　　Wemusthavegonetwomilesbeforehespokeagain。“Youprob’lydidn’tnoticeSteve？Imeanthewayheactedtome？“Itwasaquestion，buthedidnotwaitformyanswer。“Steveneversaidawordtomeallthrough。Heshunnedit。Andyousawhowneighborlyhetalkedtotheotherboys。“
　　“Wherehavetheyallgone？“Iasked。
　　Hesmiledatme。“Itcert’nlyislonesomenow，forafact。“
　　“Ididn’tknowyoufeltit，“saidI。
　　“Feelit！——they’vewenttotherailroad。ThreeofthemarewitnessesinacaseatEvanston，andtheJudgewantsouroutfitatMedicineBow。Steveshunnedme。DidhethinkIwasgoingbackonhim？“
　　“Whatifhedid？Youwerenot。Andsonobody’sgoingtoWindRiverbutyou？“
　　“No。DidyounoticeStevewouldnotgiveusanyinformationaboutShorty？Thatwasright。Iwouldhaveactedthatway，too。“Thus，eachtime，hebroughtmebacktothesubject。
　　Thesunwasnowshiningwarmduringtwoorthreeminutestogether，andgulfsofblueopenedinthegreatwhiteclouds。
　　Thesemovedandmetamongeachother，andparted，likehandsspreadout，slowlyweavingaspellofsleepoverthedayafterthewakefulnightstorm。Thehugecontoursoftheearthlaybaskinganddrying，andnotonelivingcreature，birdorbeast，wasinsight。Quietwasreturningtomyrevivedspirits，buttherewasnonefortheVirginian。Andashereasonedmattersoutaloud，hismoodgrewmoreovercast。
　　“Youhaveafriend，andhiswaysareyourways。Youtraveltogether，youspreetogetherconfidentially，andyousuiteachotherdowntotheground。Thenonedayyoufindhimputtinghisirononanotherman’scalf。Youtellhimfairandsquarethosewayshaveneverbeenyourwaysandain’tgoingtobeyourways。
　　Well，thatdoesnotchangehimany，foritseemshe’sdisturbedovergettingrichquickandbeingabigmanintheTerritory。Andtheyearsgoon，untilyouareforemanofJudgeHenry’sranchandhe——isdanglingbackinthecottonwoods。Whatcanheclaim？Whomadethechoice？Hecannotsay，’HereismyoldfriendthatI
　　wouldhavestoodby。’Canhesaythat？“
　　“Buthedidn’tsayit，“Iprotested。
　　“No。Heshunnedme。“
　　“Listen，“Isaid。“Supposewhileyouwereonguardhehadwhispered，’Getmeoff’——wouldyouhavedoneit？“
　　“No，sir！“saidtheVirginian，hotly。
　　“Thenwhatdoyouwant？“Iasked。“Whatdidyouwant？“
　　Hecouldnotanswerme——butIhadnotansweredhim，Isaw；soI
　　pusheditfarther。“Didyouwantindorsementfromthemanyouwerehanging？That’saskingalittletoomuch。“
　　Buthehadnowanotherconfusion。“StevestoodbyShorty，“hesaidmusingly。“ItwasShorty’smistakecosthimhislife，butallthesamehedidn’twantustocatch——“
　　“Youaremixingthings，“Iinterrupted。“Ineverheardyoumixthingsbefore。AnditwasnotShorty’smistake。“
　　Heshowedmomentaryinterest。“Whosethen？“
　　“Themistakeofwhoevertookafoolintotheirenterprise。“
　　“That’scorrect。Well，TrampastookShortyin，andStevewouldnottellonhimeither。“
　　Istilltriedit，saying，“Theywereallinthesameboat。“Butlogicwasuseless；hehadlosthisbearingsinafogofsentiment。Heknew，knewpassionately，thathehaddoneright；
　　butthesilenceofhisoldfriendtohimthroughthoselasthoursleftastingthatnoreasoningcouldassuage。“Hetoldgood-bytotherestoftheboys；butnottome。“AndnothingthatIcouldpointoutincommonsenseturnedhimfromthethreadofhisownargument。Heworkedroundthecircleagaintoself-justification。
　　“WasithimIwasdeserting？WasnotthedesertingdonebyhimthedayIspokemymindaboutstealingcalves？Ihavekeptmywaysthesame。Heistheonethattooktonewones。ThemanI
　　usedtotravelwithisnotthemanbackthere。Samename，tobesure。Andsamebody。Butdifferentin——andyethehadthememory！
　　Youcan’tneverchangeyourmemory！“
　　Hegaveasob。ItwasthefirstIhadeverheardfromhim，andbeforeIknewwhatIwasdoingIhadreinedmyhorseuptohisandputmyarmaroundhisshoulders。Ihadnosoonertouchedhimthanhewasutterlyovercome。“IknewSteveawfulwell，“hesaid。
　　Thuswehadactuallycometochangeplaces；forearlyinthemorninghehadbeenfirmwhileIwasunnerved，whilenowitwasI
　　whoattemptedtosteadyandcomforthim。
　　Ihadthesensetokeepsilent，andpresentlyheshookmyhand，notlookingatmeashedidso。Hewasalwaysveryshyofdemonstration。Andhetooktopattingtheneckofhispony。“YouMontehawss，“saidhe，“youthinkyouarewise，butthere’salotofthingsyoudon’tsavvy。“Thenhemadeanewbeginningoftalkbetweenus。
　　“ItiskindofpitifulaboutShorty。“
　　“Verypitiful，“Isaid。“Doyouknowabouthim？“theVirginianasked。
　　“Iknowthere’snorealharminhim，andsomerealgood，andthathehasnotgotthebrainsnecessarytobeahorsethief。“
　　“That’sso。That’sverytrue。Trampashasledhimindeeperthanhisstaturecanstand。NowbackEastyoucanbemiddlingandgetalong。ButifyougototryathingoninthisWesterncountry，you’vegottodoitWELL。You’vegottodealcyardsWELL；you’vegottostealWELL；andifyouclaimtobequickwithyourgun，youmustbequick，foryou’reapublictemptation，andsomemanwillnotresisttryingtoproveheisthequicker。YoumustbreakalltheCommandmentsWELLinthisWesterncountry，andShortyshouldhavestayedinBrooklyn，forhewillbeanovicehislivelongdays。Youdon’tknowabouthim？Hehastoldmehiscircumstances。Hedon’trememberhisfather，anditwaslikehecouldhaveclaimedthreeorfour。AndIexpecthismotherwasnotmuchinterestedinhimbeforeorafterhewasborn。Heranaround，andwhenhewaseighteenhegottobehelptoagroceryman。Butagirlheranwithkepttakingallhispayandteasinghimformore，andsoonedaythegrocerymancaughtShortyrobbinghistill，andfiredhim。Therewasn’tnoonetotellgood-byto，forthegirlhadtogotothecountrytoseeheraunt，shesaid。SoShortyhungaroundthestoreandkissedthegrocerycatgood-by。He’dbeenusedtofeedingthecat，andshe’dsitinhislapandpurr，hetoldme。Hesendsmoneybacktothatgirlnow。ThishyehcountryisnocountryforShorty，forhewillbeaconspicuousnoviceallhisdays。“
　　“Perhapshe’llpreferhonestyafterhisnarrowshave，“Isaid。
　　ButtheVirginianshookhishead。“Trampashasgotholdofhim。“
　　Thedaywasnowallblueabove，andallwarmanddrybeneath。Wehadbeguntowindinandriseamongthefirstslopesofthefoot-hills，andwehadtalkedourselvesintosilence。Atthefirstrunningwaterwemadealongnooning，andIsleptonthebareground。MybodywaslodgedsofastanddeepinslumberthatwhentheVirginianshookmeawakeIcouldnotcomebacktolifeatonce；itwastheclumpofcottonwoods，smallandfaroutintheplainbelowus，thatrecalledme。
　　“It’llnotbewatchingusmuchlonger，“saidtheVirginian。Hemadeitasortofjoke；butIknewthatbothofusweregladwhenpresentlywerodeintoasteepercountry，andamongitsfoldsandcarvingslostallsightoftheplain。Hehadnotslept，Ifound。
　　Hisexplanationwasthatthepacksneededbetterbalancing，andafterthathehadgoneupanddownthestreamonthechanceoftrout。Buthishauntedeyesgavemetherealreason——theyspokeofSteve，nomatterwhathespokeof；itwastobenoshortthingwithhim。