"Some day I'll tell you why it was that I gave you up so easily, Nell. You thought I was afraid of Donnegan?" He ground his teeth and turned pale at the thought. "But that wasn't it. Some day I can tell you. But after this, the first man who comes between us--Donnegan or any other--I'll turn him into powder--under my heel!" He ground it into the floor as he spoke. She decided that she would see how much he knew. "It will never be Donnegan, at least," she said. "He's done for today. And I'm almost sorry for him in spite of all that he's done." He became suddenly grave. "What are you saying, Nell?" "Why, Joe told you, didn't he? They've drawn Donnegan out of town, and now they're lying in wait for him. Yes, they must have him, by this time. It's ten o'clock!" A strangely tense exclamation broke from Lord Nick. "They've gone for Donnegan?" "Yes. Are you angry?" The big man staggered; one would have said that he had been stunned with a blow. "Garry!" he whispered. "What are you saying?" "Nell," he muttered hoarsely, "did you know about it?" "But I did it for you, Nick. I knew you hated--" "No, no! Don't say it!" He added bitterly, after a moment. "This is for my sins." And then, to her: "But you knew about it and didn't warn him? You hated him all the time you were laughing with him and smiling at him? Oh, Nell! What a merciless witch of a woman you are! For the rest of them--I'll wait till they come back!" "What are you going to do, Nick?" "I told them I'd pay the man who killed Donnegan--with lead. Did the fools think I didn't mean it?" Truly, no matter what shadow had passed over the big man, he was the lion again, and Nell shrank from him. "We'll wait for them," he said. "We'll wait for them here." And they sat down together in the room. She attempted to speak once in a shaken voice, but he silenced her with a gesture, and after that she sat and watched in quiet the singular play of varying expressions across his face. Grief, rage, tenderness, murderous hate--they followed like a puppet play. What was Donnegan to him? And then there was a tremor of fear. Would the three suspect when they reached the shack by the ford and no Donnegan came to them? The moments stole on. Then the soft beat of a galloping horse in the sand. The horse stopped. Presently they saw Joe Rix and Harry Masters pass in front of the window. And they looked as though a cyclone had caught them up, juggled them a dizzy distance in the air, and then flung them down carelessly upon bruising rocks. Their hats were gone; and the clothes of burly Harry Masters were literally torn from his back. Joe Rix was evidently far more terribly hurt, for he leaned on the arm of Masters and they came on together, staggering. "They've done the business!" exclaimed Lord Nick. "And now, curse them, I'll do theirs!" But the girl could not speak. A black haze crossed before her eyes. Had Donnegan gone out madly to fight the three men in spite of her warning?