"I--living with a woman?" Her voice had risen out of the whisper for the outbreak. Now it sank back into it. "Yes--with me!" "With you? I see. Naturally it must have gone hard with her--Mary! And she wouldn't see reason even when you explained that you and I are like brothers?" He leaned a little toward her and just a shade of emotion came in his voice. "When you carefully explained, Jack, with all the eloquence you could command, that you and I have ridden and fought and camped together like brothers for six years? And how I gave you your first gun? And how I've stayed between you and danger a thousand times? And how I've never treated you otherwise than as a man? And how I've given you the love of a blood-brother to take the place of the brother who died? And how I've kept you in a clean and pure respect such as a man can only give once in his life--and then only to his dearest friend? She wouldn't listen--even when you talked to her like this?" "For God's sake--Pierre!" "Ah, but you talked well enough to pave the way for me. You talked so eloquently that with a little more persuasion from me she will know and understand. Come, I must be gone after her. Which way did she ride--up or down the valley?" "You could talk to her forever and she'd never listen. Pierre, I told her that I was--your woman--that you'd told me of your scenes with her--and that we'd laughed at them together." She covered her eyes and crouched, waiting for the wrath that would fall on her, but he only smiled bitterly on the bowed head, saying: "Why have I waited so long to hear you say what I knew already? I suppose because I wouldn't believe until I heard the whole abominable truth from your own lips. Jack, why did you do it?" "Won't you see? Because I've loved you always, Pierre!" "Love--you--your tiger-heart? No, but you were like a cruel, selfish child. You were jealous because you didn't want the toy taken away. I knew it. I knew that even if I rode after her it would be hopeless. Oh, God, how terribly you've hurt me, partner!" It wrung a little moan from her. He said after a moment: "It's only the ghost of a chance, but I'll have to take it. Tell me which way she rode? No? Then I'll try to find her." She leaped between him and the door, flinging her shoulders against it with a crash and standing with outspread arms to bar the way. "You must not go!" He turned his head somewhat. "Don't stand in front of me, Jack. You know I'll do what I say, and just now it's a bit hard for me to face you." "Pierre, I feel as if there were a hand squeezing my heart small, and small, and small. Pierre, I'd die for you!" "I know you would. I know you would, partner. It was only a mistake, and you acted the way any coldhearted boy would act if--if someone were to try to steal his horse, for instance. But just now it's hard for me to look at you and be calm."