Part 35 (2/2)
”Who is theover his enemy's suspense
”Go on” ”He's everybody's friend He's the shi+ning ade, Squaw-aylord is his name, and I was a fool not to know it sooner”
”How did you discover this?” inquired Burrell, lamely ”What proof have you?”
The disclosure had not affected the soldier as Stark expected, and his anger began to lift itself
”That's neither here nor there; the man's a murderer; he's wanted in California, where I came from; he's been indicted, and there's a price on his head He's hidden for fifteen years, but he'll hang as sure as I stand here”
Disclosures of a complex nature had so crowded on Burrell in the last few hours that he saw hile Things were difficult enough as it was, but to have this man appear and cry for justice--this man above all others!--it was a coain tiht ruin all He could not face this on the spur of thehis shoulders with an air of polite scepticisood-natured raillery
”Fifteen years? Murder? John Gale a etting sleepy What proof have you?”
”Proof!” blazed the gaaylord! Proof! Why, the woman he murdered was my wife!”
It was Burrell's turn now to fall incoherent, and not only did his speech forsake hi off into a wilderness where there was no trail, no light, no hope What kind of a coil was this? What frightful bones were these he bared? This man was Bennett! This was Necia's father! This man he hated, this th and breadth of the West, was the father of the girl he loved! His head began to whirl, then the story of the trader came back to him, and he res was He raised a pair of eyes that had become furious and bloodshot, and suddenly realized that theupon Gale this heinous crime, was the slayer of Necia's mother; for he did not doubt Gale's story for an instant He found his fingers writhing to feel the creature's throat
”Proof!” Stark was growling ”How much proof do you need? I've followed hih woods and deserts and -camps I've slept on his trail for five thousand miles, and now do you think I'm mistaken? He killed irl! That's her in his house That's her he calls Necia She's irl--MY GIRL, do you understand?--and I'll have his life”
It was hate that ani of his offspring, no uplifted thought of justice The thirst for revenge, personal, violent, utter, was all that pro yet of the father's well-shaped plans, nor how far-reaching they were, and could barely stammer:
”So! You--you know?”
”Yes! She wears the evidence around her neck, and if that isn't enough I can furnish h to so for certain reasons I've changed it e and my own affair Her naoing to marry her,” said the Kentuckian, irrelevantly
”No,” replied the other, ”I wasn't aware of the fact”
”Well, I am I'll be your son-in-law” He said this as if it were the staterinned, a ris for you and , I want those mines of hers”
”Why?”
”Well, I'e”
”I'll think it over”