Where the Trail Divides

e mannerism. That Colonel William Landor was no exception to the first rule was proven by the wheezing effort with which he made his descent from the two-se

in the unconscious grunt of soliloquy with which he greeted the sight

nce, found it locked, and in lieu of entering tested the badge of sorrow between thumb and finger. "Pant stuff, sure enough," he

lapping languidly in a rising prairie breeze, was the mate to the black rag dangling at his back. The spectator's shaggy eyebrows tig

reviated tails were scratching a precarious living from amid the litter. On the sunny expanse of sidewalk before Buck Walker's meat market a long-eared mongrel lay stretched out luxuriously in the physical contentment of the subservient unmolested; but from one end of the single street to the other not a human being was in sight; save the present spectator, not a sin

on, however, had triumphed over surprise at last, and, leaving the main street, he headed toward what the proud citizens denominated the residence quarter-a handful of unpainted weather-stained one-story boxes, destitute of tree or of shrub surrounding as factory tenements. The sun was positively hot now, and a

d in one thereof, a man. The latter looked up as the visitor entered, revealing an unshaven chin and a pair of restless black eyes over the left of which the lid drooped appreciably. He was smoking a long black stogie, and scattered upon his vest and in a semicircle surrounding his chair was a sprinkling of white ash from vanished predecessor

funeral." He fumbled in his pocket and produced a stogie, mate to that in the other's mouth. "This particular ceremony, by the way, I gather fr

," laco

at, and he observed his taciturn companion appreciatively. "I left Mary up with J

ck eyes were observing the other shrewdly. Not without

personally. "It's better than a daily paper, any time." Again the deliberate, ap

well he knew the signs-the good-natured satire that ill concealed a tolerance broad as the earth, the flow of trivialities that cleared

as deliberately flicked off the loose ash onto the flo

and with nothing particular on his mind, and all of a sudden he should feel as though someone had sneaked up and stuck him from behind with a long, sharp knife. Supposing this should happen, and, although it was the middle of the day, everything should go black as night and he should wake up, he couldn't tell how much later, and find himself all heaped up in the bottom of

ingers sought a remote corner of the room, consorted with a go

me, and the old fellow, who wasn't good at walking, should be spilled

lf not over clean, dusted th

his last time?"

uck me; and when I managed to get home I sent How over instead." He halted reminisce

raig, knows abo

ew with a shade

ot out to shoot at a coyote, and the bronchos ran away." He glanced at the other explanatorily, deprecatingly. "Cla

scope, shifted his chair forward until it was close to the other and stuck the tiny tubes to his ears. Still without comment he opened the ranche

do you know

p the gap in his

younger than I am, and his father the same." The stogie had gone dead in his fingers,

r died of i

y with his drumsticks in the air. Mother and Frances-that's my sister-were waiting, and they sent me running to call father. He was a lawyer, and a great hand to shut himself up and work. I was starved hungry, and I remember I hot-f

andfather?"

er, and the choir was singing t

er and stared impassively out the single w

y," he digressed evenly. "I see a row of b

d not loo

never fear," he recalled in mock sarcas

e's nothing to be d

and again the chair gr

e before-" he halted and jerked his thumb over his shou

, met the shrewd grey eyes ben

and it may be ten

at. His jaws closed tight on the stump of the s

n that, though," he pressed. "Tell

impersonally, as, scalpel in hand, he would have studied a patient before the first incision in a major operatio

hink the next attack will be the last. Moreover, I believe it will come soon, very soon." Impassively as he had spoken, he produced a book of rice paper from his pocket and a rubber pouch of tobacco. The long fingers wer

ifted in his seat, passed his sl

-day." For the second time his cigar was dead, but he did not light it again. There was no need of subterfuge now.

said C

one who could not

e inter

aid

e rancher's mottled cheeks as, w

ou," he said coldly. "I was labouring un

s ended. Chantry's long fingers had

is precisely because I am your

question in every

derstand," he groped.

t. You were going to ask the

, in mystifie

k me to take charge of your affairs if

se," swiftly. He ignored the other's suggestion. "Get

u for a long t

in Chantry scouted the obvious. "If there shoul

her one, have about as much idea of taking care of themselves as they have of speaking Chi

t H

o hide your hat, or manage cattle, or stretch out in the sun and: dream; but business-He

was not natural for Chantry t

n his lap his fingers met unconsciously, t

ut his doings. That's why I sent for him." Pat, pat went the big fingers in his lap against each other. "I've always felt that if worst came to worst the women folks would have someone practical to rely on; but somehow, when I saw him last night, from what he said and what he didn't say, from the way he acted and the way he explained-what happened here last evening-" The speaker caught himself. A trace of the old shrewdness crept into the grey eyes as he inspected his companion steadily.

another cigarette, lit it, sent a great cloud of

ybe there won't be anything for you or anyone to do; but it would be a big load off my mind to know that if anything should happen.-" He halted abruptly. It was not easy f

m so, seen him other than the impassive, almost forbidding practitioner of a minute ago. For the time being his own trouble was forgotten in surprise, and he stared at the transformation almost unbelievingly. Back and forth, back and forth went the thin, ungainly shape, the ill-laid floor creaking as he moved, paused at last before the single dust-stained windo

med his seat. His face had grown noticeably pale, a

e been friends, and as you say, it's not a big thing you ask o

hands became still,

" Unconsciously a trace of the former stiffness returned to his manner as he arose heavily. "I think I'd b

e other to resume his seat. Instead, he him

nation as well," he said repres

ind. If you'd prefe

ve mine, and it keeps bobbing out at times like this when I most wish-" He caught himself, met his companion's questioning look fairly. "Haven't you wondered why I ever came here; why, having com

e, thought of it tolerantly, with a vague sense of commiseration-an attitude very similar to that with

ow that you consider it?" The question came swiftly, tensely, wit

perhap

er or a ghastly tragedy; something which in duty we must confide, but which we hasten to have over. "It's easier to get here than to Mexico or to Canada, and until the country is settled, until people begin to suspect-" He halted sud

did not raise them again to his companion. "I'm sorry, very sorry, that I asked you; sorry most of all that-" He halted diffidently, his great hands hanging loose at his side, his broad shoulders drooping wearily. He was no

s going. Tense, motionless, he stood where he had last paused

dor," he said

omething in the tone caused the

mean, rather,

You will not

don't

t, or I should have done so long ago.

ng at each other. Seconds drifted by

y." A moment he stood so, tense as a wire drawn to the point of breaking, ghastly tense; then of a sudden he went

he requested