“An’ about the time Milly was the prettiest an’ the sweetest, along came a young minister who began to ride some of a race with the other fellers for Milly.  An’ he won.  Milly had always been strong on religion, an’ when she met Frank Erne she went in heart an’ soul for the salvation of souls.  Fact was, Milly, through study of the Bible an’ attendin’ church an’ revivals, went a little out of her head.  It didn’t worry the old folks none, an’ the only worry to me was Milly’s everlastin’ prayin’ an’ workin’ to save my soul.  She never converted me, but we was the best of comrades, an’ I reckon no brother an’ sister ever loved each other better.  Well, Frank Erne an me hit up a great friendship.  He was a strappin’ feller, good to look at, an’ had the most pleasin’ ways.  His religion never bothered me, for he could hunt an’ fish an’ ride an’ be a good feller.  After buffalo once, he come pretty near to savin’ my life.  We got to be thick as brothers, an’ he was the only man I ever seen who I thought was good enough for Milly.  An’ the day they were married I got drunk for the only time in my life.

“Soon after that I left home—­it seems Milly was the only one who could keep me home—­an’ I went to the bad, as to prosperin’ I saw some pretty hard life in the Pan Handle, an’ then I went North.  In them days Kansas an’ Nebraska was as bad, come to think of it, as these days right here on the border of Utah.  I got to be pretty handy with guns.  An’ there wasn’t many riders as could beat me ridin’.  An’ I can say all modest-like that I never seen the white man who could track a hoss or a steer or a man with me.  Afore I knowed it two years slipped by, an’ all at once I got homesick, en’ purled a bridle south.

“Things at home had changed.  I never got over that homecomin’.  Mother was dead an’ in her grave.  Father was a silent, broken man, killed already on his feet.  Frank Erne was a ghost of his old self, through with workin’, through with preachin’, almost through with livin’, an’ Milly was gone!...It was a long time before I got the story.  Father had no mind left, an’ Frank Erne was afraid to talk.  So I had to pick up whet ’d happened from different people.

“It ’pears that soon after I left home another preacher come to the little town.  An’ he an’ Frank become rivals.  This feller was different from Frank.  He preached some other kind of religion, and he was quick an’ passionate, where Frank was slow an’ mild.  He went after people, women specially.  In looks he couldn’t compare to Frank Erne, but he had power over women.  He had a voice, an’ he talked an’ talked an’ preached an’ preached.  Milly fell under his influence..  She became mightily interested in his religion.  Frank had patience with her, as was his way, an’ let her be as interested as she liked.  All religions were devoted to one God, he said, an’ it wouldn’t hurt Milly none to study a different point of view.  So the new preacher often called on Milly, an’ sometimes in Frank’s absence.  Frank was a cattle-man between Sundays.