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〃I reckon mebbe the best hoss'll prove himself yet；〃 said Lassiter； 〃an'； Jane； if it ever comes to that race I'd like you to be on Wrangle。〃
〃I'd like that； too；〃 rejoined Venters。 〃But； Jane； maybe Lassiter's hint is extreme。 Bad as your prospects are； you'll surely never come to the running point。〃
〃Who knows！〃 she replied； with mournful smile。
〃No； no； Jane； it can't be so bad as all that。 Soon as I see Tull there'll be a change in your fortunes。 I'll hurry down to the village。。。。Now don't worry。〃
Jane retired to the seclusion of her room。 Lassiter's subtle forecasting of disaster； Venters's forced optimism； neither remained in mind。 Material loss weighed nothing in the balance with other losses she was sustaining。 She wondered dully at her sitting there； hands folded listlessly； with a kind of numb deadness to the passing of time and the passing of her riches。 She thought of Venters's friendship。 She had not lost that； but she had lost him。 Lassiter's friendshipthat was more than loveit would endure； but soon he； too； would be gone。 Little Pay slept dreamlessly upon the bed； her golden curls streaming over the pillow。 Jane had the child's worship。 Would she lose that； too？ And if she did； what then would be left？ Conscience thundered at her that there was left her religion。 Conscience thundered that she should be grateful on her knees for this baptism of fire； that through misfortune； sacrifice； and suffering her soul might be fused pure gold。 But the old； spontaneous； rapturous spirit no more exalted her。 She wanted to be a womannot a martyr。 Like the saint of old who mortified his flesh； Jane Withersteen had in her the temper for heroic martyrdom； if by sacrificing herself she could save the souls of others。 But here the damnable verdict blistered her that the more she sacrificed herself the blacker grew the souls of her churchmen。 There was something terribly wrong with her soul； something terribly wrong with her churchmen and her religion。 In the whirling gulf of her thought there was yet one shining light to guide her； to sustain her in her hope； and it was that； despite her errors and her frailties and her blindness； she had one absolute and unfaltering hold on ultimate and supreme justice。 That was love。 〃Love your enemies as yourself！〃 was a divine word； entirely free from any church or creed。
Jane's meditations were disturbed by Lassiter's soft； tinkling step in the court。 Always he wore the clinking spurs。 Always he was in readiness to ride。 She passed out and called him into the huge； dim hall。
〃I think you'll be safer here。 The court is too open；〃 she said。
〃I reckon；〃 replied Lassiter。 〃An' it's cooler here。 The day's sure muggy。 Well； I went down to the village with Venters。〃
〃Already！ Where is he？〃 queried Jane； in quick amaze。
〃He's at the corrals。 Blake's helpin' him get the burros an' packs ready。 That Blake is a good fellow。〃
〃Diddid Bern meet Tull？〃
〃I guess he did；〃 answered Lassiter； and he laughed dryly。
〃Tell me！ Oh； you exasperate me！ You're so cool； so calm！ For Heaven's sake； tell me what happened！〃
〃First time I've been in the village for weeks；〃 went on Lassiter； mildly。 〃I reckon there 'ain't been more of a show for a long time。 Me an' Venters walkin' down the road！ It was funny。 I ain't sayin' anybody was particular glad to see us。 I'm not much thought of hereabouts； an' Venters he sure looks like what you called him； a wild man。 Well； there was some runnin' of folks before we got to the stores。 Then everybody vamoosed except some surprised rustlers in front of a saloon。 Venters went right in the stores an' saloons； an' of course I went along。 I don't know which tickled me the mostthe actions of many fellers we met； or Venters's nerve。 Jane； I was downright glad to be along。 You see that sort of thing is my element； an' I've been away from it for a spell。 But we didn't find Tull in one of them places。 Some Gentile feller at last told Venters he'd find Tull in that long buildin' next to Parsons's store。 It's a kind of meetin'…room； and sure enough； when we peeped in； it was half full of men。
〃Venters yelled： 'Don't anybody pull guns！ We ain't come for that！' Then he tramped in； an' I was some put to keep alongside him。 There was a hard； scrapin' sound of feet； a loud cry； an' then some whisperin'； an' after that stillness you could cut with a knife。 Tull was there； an' that fat party who once tried to throw a gun on me； an' other important…lookin' men； en' that little frog…legged feller who was with Tull the day I rode in here。 I wish you could have seen their faces； 'specially Tull's an' the fat party's。 But there ain't no use of me tryin' to tell you how they looked。
〃Well； Venters an' I stood there in the middle of the room with that batch of men all in front of us； en' not a blamed one of them winked an eyelash or moved a finger。 It was natural； of course； for me to notice many of them packed guns。 That's a way of mine； first noticin' them things。 Venters spoke up； an' his voice sort of chilled an' cut； en' he told Tull he had a few things to say。〃
Here Lassiter paused while he turned his sombrero round and round； in his familiar habit； and his eyes had the look of a man seeing over again some thrilling spectacle； and under his red bronze there was strange animation。
〃Like a shot； then； Venters told Tull that the friendship between you an' him was all over； an' he was leaving your place。 He said you'd both of you broken off in the hope of propitiatin' your people； but you hadn't changed your mind otherwise； an' never would。
〃Next he spoke up for you。 I ain't goin' to tell you what he said。 Onlyno other woman who ever lived ever had such tribute！ You had a champion； Jane； an' never fear that those thick…skulled men don't know you now。 It couldn't be otherwise。 He spoke the ringin'； lightnin' truth。。。。Then he accused Tull of the underhand； miserable robbery of a helpless woman。 He told Tull where the red herd was； of a deal made with Oldrin'； that Jerry Card had made the deal。 I thought Tull was goin' to drop； an' that little frog…legged cuss； he looked some limp an' white。 But Venters's voice would have kept anybody's legs from bucklin'。 I was stiff myself。 He went on an' called Tullcalled him every bad name ever known to a rider； an' then some。 He cursed Tull。 I never hear a man get such a cursin'。 He laughed in scorn at the idea of Tull bein' a minister。 He said Tull an' a few more dogs of hell builded their empire out of the hearts of such innocent an' God…fearin' women as Jane Withersteen。 He called Tull a binder of women； a callous beast who hid behind a mock mantle of righteousnessan' the last an' lowest coward on the face of the earth。 To prey on weak women through their religionthat was the last unspeakable crime！
〃Then he finished； an' by this time he'd almost lost his voice。 But his whisper was enough。 'Tull；' he said； 'she begged me not to draw on you to…day。 She would pray for you if you burned her at the stake。。。。But listen！。。。I swear if you and I ever come face to face again； I'll kill you！'
〃We backed out of the door then； an' up the road。 But nobody follered us。〃
Jane found herself weeping passionately。 She had not been conscious of it till Lassiter ended his story； and she experienced exquisite pain and relief in shedding tears。 Long had her eyes been dry； her grief deep； long had her emotions been dumb。 Lassiter's story put her on the rack； the appalling nature of Venters's act and speech had no parallel as an outrage； it was worse than bloodshed。 Men like Tull had been shot； but had one ever been so terribly denounced in public？ Over…mounting her horror； an uncontrollable； quivering passion shook her very soul。 It was sheer human glory in the deed of a fearless man。 It was hot； primitive instinct to liveto fight。 It was a kind of mad joy in Venters's chivalry。 It was close to the wrath that had first shaken her in the beginning of this war waged upon her。
〃Well； well； Jane； don't take it that way；〃 said Lassiter； in evident distress。 〃I had to tell you。 There's some things a feller jest can't keep。 It's strange you give up on hearin' that； when all this long time you've been the gamest woman I ever seen。 But I d