“Pard, I never feared I’d lose that.  All I’ve feared was that I’d be club-footed....  Let me look,” replied the cowboy, and he raised himself on his elbow.  Wade lifted the unsightly foot.

“My God, it’s crooked!” cried Moore, passionately.  “Wade, it’s healed.  It’ll stay that way always!  I can’t move it!...  Oh, but Buster Jack’s ruined me!”

The hunter pushed him back with gentle hands.  “Wils, it might have been worse.”

“But I never gave up hope,” replied Moore, in poignant grief.  “I couldn’t.  But now!...  How can you look at that—­that club-foot, and not swear?”

“Well, well, boy, cussin’ won’t do any good.  Now lay still an’ let me work.  You’ve had lots of good news this mornin’.  So I think you can stand to hear a little bad news.”

“What!  Bad news?” queried Moore, with a start.

“I reckon.  Now listen....  The reason Collie hasn’t answered your note is because she’s been sick in bed for three weeks.”

“Oh no!” exclaimed the cowboy, in amaze and distress.

“Yes, an’ I’m her doctor,” replied Wade, with pride.  “First off they had Mrs. Andrews.  An’ Collie kept askin’ for me.  She was out of her head, you know.  An’ soon as I took charge she got better.”

“Heavens!  Collie ill and you never told me!” cried Moore.  “I can’t believe it.  She’s so healthy and strong.  What ailed her, Bent?”

“Well, Mrs. Andrews said it was nervous breakdown.  An’ Old Bill was afraid of consumption.  An’ Jack Belllounds swore she was only shammin’.”

The cowboy cursed violently.

“Here—­I won’t tell you any more if you’re goin’ to cuss that way an’ jerk around,” protested Wade.

“I—­I’ll shut up,” appealed Moore.

“Well, that puddin’-head Jack is more’n you called him, if you care to hear my opinion....  Now, Wils, the fact is that none of them know what ails Collie.  But I know.  She’d been under a high strain leadin’ up to October first.  An’ the way that weddin’-day turned out—­with Old Bill layin’ Jack cold, an’ with no marriage at all—­why, Collie had a shock.  An’ after that she seemed pale an’ tired all the time an’ she didn’t eat right.  Well, when Buster Jack got over that awful punch he’d got from the old man he made up to Collie harder than ever.  She didn’t tell me then, but I saw it.  An’ she couldn’t avoid him, except by stayin’ in her room, which she did a good deal.  Then Jack showed a streak of bein’ decent.  He surprised everybody, even Collie.  He delighted Old Bill.  But he didn’t pull the wool over my eyes.  He was like a boy spoilin’ for a new toy, an’ he got crazy over Collie.  He’s sure terribly in love with her, an’ for days he behaved himself in a way calculated to make up for his drinkin’ too much.  It shows he can behave himself when he wants to.  I mean he can control his temper an’ impulse.  Anyway, he made himself so good that Old Bill changed his mind, after what he swore that day, an’ set another day for the weddin’.  Right off, then, Collie goes down on her back....  They didn’t send for me very soon.  But when I did get to see her, an’ felt the way she grabbed me—­as if she was drownin’—­then I knew what ailed her.  It was love.”