“Oh, I am sorry—­sorry.  Poor Father Naab!  How he must hate me, the cause of it all!  But I couldn’t stay—­I couldn’t marry Snap.”

“Don’t blame yourself, Mescal.  What Snap might have done if you had married him is guesswork.  He might have left drink alone a while longer.  But he was bad clean through.  I heard Dave Naab tell him that.  Snap would have gone over to Holderness sooner or later.  And now he’s a rustler, if not worse.”

“Then those men think Snap killed you?”

“Yes.”

“What’s going to happen when you meet Snap, or any of them?”

“Somebody will be surprised,” replied Hare, with a laugh.

“Jack, it’s no laughing matter.”  She fastened her hands in the lapels of his coat and her eyes grew sad.  “You can never hang up your gun again.”

“No.  But perhaps I can keep out of their way, especially Snap’s.  Mescal, you’ve forgotten Silvermane, and how he can run.”

“I haven’t forgotten.  He can run, but he can’t beat Bolly.”  She said this with a hint of her old spirit.  “Jack—­you want to take me back home?”

“Of course.  What did you expect when you sent Wolf?”

“I didn’t expect.  I just wanted to see you, or somebody, and I thought of the Navajos.  Couldn’t I live with them?  Why can’t we stay here or in a canyon across the Colorado where there’s plenty of game?”

“I’m going to take you home and Father Naab shall marry you—­to—­to me.”

Startled, Mescal fell back upon his shoulder and did not stir nor speak for a long time.  “Did—­did you tell him?”

“Yes.”

“What did he say?  Was he angry?  Tell me.”

“He was kind and good as he always is.  He said if I found you, then the issue would be between Snap and me, as man to man.  You are still pledged to Snap in the Mormon Church and that can’t be changed.  I don’t suppose even if he’s outlawed that it could be changed.”

“Snap will not let any grass grow in the trails to the oasis,” said Mescal.  “Once he finds I’ve come back to life he’ll have me.  You don’t know him, Jack.  I’m afraid to go home.”

“My dear, there’s no other place for us to go.  We can’t live the life of Indians.”

“But Jack, think of me watching you ride out from home!  Think of me always looking for Snap!  I couldn’t endure it.  I’ve grown weak in this year of absence.”

“Mescal, look at me.”  His voice rang as he held her face to face.  “We must decide everything.  Now—­say you love me!”

“Yes—­yes.”

“Say it.”

“I—­love you—­Jack.”

“Say you’ll marry me!”

“I will marry you.”

“Then listen.  I’ll get you out of this canyon and take you home.  You are mine and I’ll keep you.”  He held her tightly with strong arms; his face paled, his eyes darkened.  “I don’t want to meet Snap Naab.  I shall try to keep out of his way.  I hope I can.  But Mescal, I’m yours now.  Your happiness—­perhaps your life—­depends on me.  That makes a difference.  Understand!”