The rustlers sat their horses, gazing down the trail, and Smith wagged his dark head doubtfully.  Then he spoke quite distinctly, “I ain’t a-trustin’ thet Belllounds pup!” and his comrade replied, “Boss, we ain’t stealin’ the stock, so what th’ hell!” Then they turned their horses and trotted out of sight and hearing up the timbered slope.

Columbine was so stunned, and so frightened and horrified, that she remained hidden there for a long time before she ventured forth.  Then, heading homeward, she skirted the trail and kept to the edge of the forest, making a wide detour over the hills, finally reaching the ranch at sunset.  Jack did not appear at the evening meal.  His father had one of his spells of depression and seemed not to have noticed her absence.  She lay awake all night thinking and praying.

Columbine concluded her narrative there, and, panting from her agitation and hurry, she gazed at the bowed figure of Moore, and then at Wade.

“I had to tell you this shameful secret,” she began again.  “I’m forced.  If you do not help me, if something is not done, there’ll be a horrible—­end to all!”

“We’ll help you, but how?” asked Moore, raising a white face.

“I don’t know yet.  I only feel—­I only feel what may happen, if I don’t prevent it....  Wilson, you must go home—­at least for a while.”

“It’ll not look right for Wils to leave White Slides now,” interposed Wade, positively.

“But why?  Oh, I fear—­”

“Never mind now, lass.  It’s a good reason.  An’ you mustn’t fear anythin’.  I agree with you—­we’ve got to prevent this—­this that’s goin’ to happen.”

“Oh, Ben, my dear friend, we must prevent it—­you must!”

“Ahuh!...  So I was figurin’.”

“Ben, you must go to Jack an’ tell him—­show him the peril—­frighten him terribly—­so that he will not do—­do this shameful thing again.”

“Lass, I reckon I could scare Jack out of his skin.  But what good would that do?”

“It’ll stop this—­this madness....  Then I’ll marry him—­and keep him safe—­after that!”

“Collie, do you think marryin’ Buster Jack will stop his bustin’ out?”

“Oh, I know it will.  He had conquered over the evil in him.  I saw that.  I felt it.  He conquered over his baser nature for love of me.  Then—­when he heard—­from my own lips—­that I loved Wilson—­why, then he fell.  He didn’t care.  He drank again.  He let go.  He sank.  And now he’ll ruin us all.  Oh, it looks as if he meant it that way!...  But I can change him.  I will marry him.  I will love him—­or I will live a lie! I will make him think I love him!”

Wilson Moore, deadly pale, faced her with flaming eyes.

“Collie, why? For God’s sake, explain why you will shame your womanhood and ruin me—­all for that coward—­that thief?”

Columbine broke from Wade and ran to Wilson, as if to clasp him, but something halted her and she stood before him.