He drew himself erect and walked slowly to the fireplace; where he halted, turned, and smiled at Lawler—­a smile full of malice.

“Your explanation of the killing of Link and Givens is a mighty flimsy one, Lawler, don’t you think?  Moreton might want a witness,—­eh?”

“There was no witness, Warden.”  Lawler had not turned.  He was watching the door, for he expected the Two Diamond men to enter at any instant, and he knew they would deeply resent the killing of their companions.  He did not intend to be taken by surprise.

Warden, standing in front of the fireplace, noted the blanket suspended from the ceiling, swinging between the two tiers of bunks.  He started, his face paled, and he looked searchingly at Lawler.  And then, observing that Lawler was paying no attention to him, he moved slowly toward one of the bunks—­the one Miss Wharton had occupied—­noting the disturbed bedclothing.  A white piece of cloth, crumpled and soiled, lay on a gray blanket.  He took it up swiftly, stuck it into the front of his heavy coat and turned again toward the fireplace.  With his back to Lawler he swiftly examined the cloth he had picked up.  It was a handkerchief—­a woman’s—­and in one corner of it was an embroidered monogram containing the letters “D.W.”  It was Della’s—­he had seen that and others like it, many times, in her hands and at the Two Diamond, on the wash line.

For a long time, with his back to Lawler, Warden fought to control the terrible jealousy that the finding of the handkerchief had aroused in him.  His face was contorted with passion; his eyes were aflame with it.  He had hated Lawler before; now the passion was a malignant poison that burned, through his veins like fire.

He did not trust himself to speak—­his voice would have betrayed him.  He walked past Lawler, sneering silently as he reached the door, looking back as he opened it and stood on the threshold, muttering hoarsely: 

“You’ll hang for this, Lawler—­damn you!”

Lawler heard the Two Diamond men ride away, and he went to the door at the sound they made and saw they were carrying the bodies of Link and Givens—­they were lashed to their horses, which the Two Diamond men had taken from the dugout.  He watched them out of sight.

It was only an hour or so later when Davies and Harris clattered to the door of the cabin.  They were red and embarrassed, and confessed they had been intoxicated.  But they were much relieved when they found that Lawler had headed the herd into the valley; and they were filled with rage when Lawler told them of the fence cutting and the killing of the two men.  And they were delighted when Lawler told them to go on duty at the cabin, not even mentioning their dereliction.

Half an hour after the appearance of Davies and Harris half a dozen Circle L men rode up, eager-eyed, overjoyed at finding their “boss”.  They were covered with snow from their ride up the valley, through the big drifts they had encountered, but the glow in their eyes when they saw Lawler was safe indicated they had forgotten the rigors of the ride.