to the last man-第31章
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golden sunlight from her eyes。 At length the lethargy of despair；
the black dull misery wore away； and she gradually returned to a
condition of coherent thought。
What had she learned？ Sight of the black horse grazing near seemed
to prompt the trenchant replies。 Spades belonged to Jean Isbel。 He
had been stolen by her father or by one of her father's accomplices。
Isbel's vaunted cunning as a tracker had been no idle boast。 Her
father was a horse thief； a rustler； a sheepman only as a blind；
a consort of Daggs； leader of the Hash Knife Gang。 Ellen well
remembered the ill repute of that gang； way back in Texas； years ago。
Her father had gotten in with this famous band of rustlers to serve
his own endsthe extermination of the Isbels。 It was all very plain
now to Ellen。
〃Daughter of a horse thief an' rustler！〃 she muttered。
And her thoughts sped back to the days of her girlhood。 Only the very
early stage of that time had been happy。 In the light of Isbel's
revelation the many changes of residence； the sudden moves to
unsettled parts of Texas； the periods of poverty and sudden prosperity；
all leading to the final journey to this God…forsaken Arizonathese
were now seen in their true significance。 As far back as she could
remember her father had been a crooked man。 And her mother had known
it。 He had dragged her to her ruin。 That degradation had killed her。
Ellen realized that with poignant sorrow； with a sudden revolt against
her father。 Had Gaston Isbel truly and dishonestly started her father
on his downhill road？ Ellen wondered。 She hated the Isbels with
unutterable and growing hate； yet she had it in her to think； to ponder；
to weigh judgments in their behalf。 She owed it to something in herself
to be fair。 But what did it matter who was to blame for the Jorth…Isbel
feud？ Somehow Ellen was forced to confess that deep in her soul it
mattered terribly。 To be true to herselfthe self that she alone
knewshe must have right on her side。 If the Jorths were guilty；
and she clung to them and their creed； then she would be one of them。
〃But I'm not；〃 she mused； aloud。 〃My name's Jorth； an' I reckon I have
bad blood。 。 。 。 But it never came out in me till to…day。 I've been
honest。 I've been goodyes； GOOD； as my mother taught me to bein
spite of all。 。 。 。 Shore my pride made me a fool。 。 。 。 An' now have
I any choice to make？ I'm a Jorth。 I must stick to my father。
All this summing up； however； did not wholly account for the pang in
her breast。
What had she done that day？ And the answer beat in her ears like a
great throbbing hammer…stroke。 In an agony of shame； in the throes
of hate； she had perjured herself。 She had sworn away her honor。 She
had basely made herself vile。 She had struck ruthlessly at the great
heart of a man who loved her。 Ah！ That thrust had rebounded to leave
this dreadful pang in her breast。 Loved her？ Yes； the strange truth；
the insupportable truth！ She had to contend now； not with her father
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。 。 。 。
