“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。“