upon him, and clutched at his throat with terrible stifling hands.
The harsh contact, the pain awakened Cameron to his peril before
it was too late. Desperate fighting saved him from being hurled
to the ground and stamped and crushed. Warren seemed a maddened
giant. There was a reeling, swaying, wrestling struggle before
the elder man began to weaken. The Cameron, buffeted, bloody,
half-stunned, panted for speech.

"Warren--hold on! Give me--a minute. I married Nell. Didn't you
know that?...I saved the child!"

Cameron felt the shock that vibrated through Warren. He repeated
the words again and again. As if compelled by some resistless
power, Warren released Cameron, and, staggering back, stood with uplifted,
shaking hands. In his face was a horrible darkness.

"Warren! Wait--listen!" panted Cameron. "I've got that marriage
certificate--I've had it by me all these years. I kept it--to
prove to myself I did right."

The old man uttered a broken cry.

Cameron stole off among the rocks. How long he absented himself
or what he did he had no idea. When he returned Warren was sitting
before the campfire, and once more he appeared composed. He spoke,
and his voice had a deeper note; but otherwise he seemed as usual.

They packed the burros and faced the north together.

Cameron experienced a singular exaltation. He had lightened his