Indeed, Ina had been outspoken enough, to judge by Nevada’s agitation. A spasm of agony crossed his face, like a twisting shadow.

“My God! if I could only forget the past an’ remember only the present!” he exclaimed, despairingly.

“Nevada, you can live down any past,” responded Ina, surprised and touched.

“Even if it was bad?”

“Yes, indeed.”

“Could I ever be worthy of Hettie?” he asked, wistfully.

“Surely you could. Be what she wants you—what she asked you to be. That will make you worthy.”

“I love her,” he said, covering his face with his hands. He remained stiff and tense for a long moment, then his strong brown hands left his face, and he was himself again. “Reckon I didn’t intend to talk of myself. But it’s no harm. Shore I’m glad you know how I feel. An’ shore it won’t do no harm for you to know how Ben feels.”

“And how’s—that?” asked Ina, catching her breath between words. The flash of his black eyes startled her.

“Ben’s dyin’ of love for you!”

“Ben! … Dying? Oh, Nevada, you’re—you’re——”

“Shore I am. But that’s true. Ben’s breakin’. He’s strong an’ hard to kill. But it’s begun to knock him. He doesn’t eat or sleep or rest. He’s crazy aboot you.”

Ina had bowed as if under a storm and she leaned against the juniper, quivering under a blow of combined torture and bliss.

“Ina, forgive me for burstin’ right out with this,” Nevada went on, touching her head with gentle hand. “But we’ve got to do somethin’. Listen. Hettie told me she thought you loved Ben. That you’d loved him when you were kids an’ would never change. She only thought so, but now I know. I’ve learned it heah. You don’t deny it, do you?”

“No, it’s—miserable—terrible—truth,” faltered Ina.

“It may shore be terrible, but not miserable,” he went on in a changed voice, swift, vibrant with strong feeling. “Ben an’ you will shore get to each other now. I’m goin’ to kill this heah Less Setter——”

“Nevada!” cried Ina, sitting up in frantic haste. “What are you saying? That’d be horrible.”

“Killin’ Setter may be the only way to save you two. He’s no stranger to me, Ina. We crossed in Nevada. He’s aboot the most powerful man wherever he goes. Shore he might step in his rope over heah, in which case, mebbe, there’d be no call to throw a gun on him.”

“Surely Setter will ruin himself,” protested Ina.

“No doubt in the world aboot that,” agreed Nevada, “but if he’s let alone he’ll shore drag us to destruction with him. An’ we’re concerned with his dealin’s right heah an’ now…. Ina, if I’d been at Forlorn River when Setter rode in there——”

“Hettie Ide’s heart would have been broken,” interrupted Ina, ruthlessly.

That retort pierced Nevada’s armor and made him hang his head. But soon he ponderingly shook it erect.