"That was nothing," she protested, tramping about. "I only went down into the snow, but my arms were bound, and the pony fell on my foot--it feels quite natural now." "Good. We shall have to tramp a little way. In which direction did Dupont go?" "Across the ridge there; see, that is his trail." "Then he never saw our horses out yonder. That is one piece or good luck, at least. The sooner we get to them the better. I have been guilty of enough foolishness to-day to be careful hereafter." He looked across at Hughes' body. "I wonder if that fellow meant to hit me? I never trusted him much, but I did n't expect that. Did you see him fire?" "Yes, but it was so sudden I could not even cry out. He was upon one knee, and his revolver waved like this as he tried to aim. Dupont saw it, and jumped just as he pulled the trigger." "I thought so. The poor devil got the wrong man." "Why? Were those two enemies?" "They had been partners, stealing and running cattle. Dupont had cheated Hughes out of his share, and there was bad blood between them. I ran across the fellow up on the Cimarron, waiting for Dupont to come back to his old range. Did you ever hear Dupont called by any other name?" She shook her head questioningly. "No; was n't that his real name? The woman back there--wasn't she his wife?" "She was his wife, yes; but their name was not Dupont. That was assumed; the correct one was Le Fevre." "Le Fevre! Why,--why, wasn't that the name of the man you told me about once?--the officer who brought you those orders?" "He is the same. I did not know him at Dodge; not until Hughes told me. He had changed greatly in appearance, and I only saw him at night. But it was because I knew that I failed to kill him here; I wanted him alive, so I could compel him to tell the truth." She gave a little sob, her hands clasped together. The man's voice softened, and he took a step nearer, bending above her. "And yet now I do not care quite as much as I did." She looked up quickly into his face, and as swiftly lowered her lashes. "You mean you have found other evidence?" "No, but I have found you, dear. You need not try, for I am not going to let you get away. It is not the officer's daughter and the enlisted man any more. Those barriers are all gone. I do not mean that I am indifferent to the stain on my name, or any less desirous of wringing the truth from Gene Le Fevre's lips, but even the memory of that past can keep me silent no longer. You are alone in the world now, alone and in the shadow of disgrace--you need me." He stopped, amazed at the boldness of his own words, and, in the silence of that hesitation, Molly lifted her eyes to his face. "I think I have always needed you," she said simply.