“Steady.  That’s just what I said to myself,” interrupted Brace coolly, “particularly when I saw her that same afternoon in another dress, saying ‘Good-by’ to the Burnhams, as fresh as a rose and as cold as those snow-peaks.  Only one thing—­she had a ring on her finger she never wore before, and didn’t expect me to see.”

“What if she did?  She might have bought it.  I reckon she hasn’t to consult you,” broke in Dunn’s voice sternly.

“She didn’t buy it,” continued Brace quietly.  “Low gave that Jew trader a bearskin in exchange for it, and presented it to her.  I found that out two days afterwards.  I found out that out of the whole afternoon she spent less than an hour with the Burnhams.  I found out that she bought a duster like the disguise the two men saw her in.  I found the yellow dress she wore that day hanging up in Low’s cabin—­the place where I saw her go—­the Rendezvous where she meets him.  Oh, you’re listenin’, are you?  Stop!  Sit down!

“I discovered it by accident,” continued the voice of Brace when all was again quiet; “it was hidden as only a squirrel or an Injin can hide when they improve upon nature.  When I was satisfied that the girl had been in the woods, I was determined to find out where she vanished, and went there again.  Prospecting around, I picked up at the foot of one of the biggest trees this yer old memorandum-book, with grasses and herbs stuck in it.  I remembered that I’d heard old Wynn say that Low, like the d—­d Digger that he was, collected these herbs; only he pretended it was for science.  I reckoned the book was his and that he mightn’t be far away.  I lay low and waited.  Bimeby I saw a lizard running down the root.  When he got sight of me he stopped.”

“D—­n the lizard!  What’s that got to do with where she is now?”

“Everything.  That lizard had a piece of sugar in his mouth.  Where did it come from?  I made him drop it, and calculated he’d go back for more.  He did.  He scooted up that tree and slipped in under some hanging strips of bark.  I shoved ’em aside, and found an opening to the hollow where they do their housekeeping.”

“But you didn’t see her there—­and how do you know she is there now?”

“I determined to make it sure.  When she left to-day, I started an hour ahead of her, and hid myself at the edge of the woods.  An hour after the coach arrived at Indian Spring, she came there in a brown duster and was joined by him.  I’d have followed them, but the d—­d hound has the ears of a squirrel, and though I was five hundred yards from him he was on his guard.”

“Guard be blessed!  Wasn’t you armed?  Why didn’t you go for him?” said Dunn, furiously.

“I reckoned I’d leave that for you,” said Brace coolly.  “If he’d killed me, and if he’d even covered me with his rifle, he’d been sure to let daylight through me at double the distance.  I shouldn’t have been any better off, nor you either.  If I’d killed him, it would have been your duty as sheriff to put me in jail; and I reckon it wouldn’t have broken your heart, Jim Dunn, to have got rid of two rivals instead of one.  Hullo!  Where are you going?”