certainly was nervy of the youngster. Said it just the same as--as
he'd offer to cinch my saddle. Gulden can whip a roomful of men.
He's done it. And as for a killer--I've heard of no man with his
record."

"And that's why you fear him?"

"It's not," replied Kells, passionately, as if his manhood had been
affronted. "It's because he's Gulden. There's something uncanny
about him. ... Gulden's a cannibal!"

Joan looked as if she had not heard aright.

"It's a cold fact. Known all over the border. Gulden's no braggart.
But he's been known to talk. He was a sailor--a pirate. Once he was
shipwrecked. Starvation forced him to be a cannibal. He told this in
California, and in Nevada camps. But no one believed him. A few
years ago he got snowed-up in the mountains back of Lewiston. He had
two companions with him. They all began to starve. It was absolutely
necessary to try to get out. They started out in the snow. Travel
was desperately hard. Gulden told that his companions dropped. But
he murdered them--and again saved his life by being a cannibal.
After this became known his sailor yarns were no longer doubted. ...
There's another story about him. Once he got hold of a girl and took
her into the mountains. After a winter he returned alone. He told
that he'd kept her tied in a cave, without any clothes, and she
froze to death."

"Oh, horrible!" moaned Joan.