"I don't like to talk about friends behind their backs,"
said Blondie, "but I can tell you this: one of the two
sweethearts he had, one was mine, and the other was
for the General."

They burst into guffaws of laughter.

When War Paint realized what had happened, she
sought out Camilla and spoke with great affection:

"Poor little child! Tell me how all this happened."

Camilla's eyes were red from weeping.

"He lied to me! He lied! He came to the ranch and
he told me, 'Camilla, I came just to get you. Do you
want to go away with me?' You can be sure I wanted
to go with him; when it comes to loving, I adore him.
Yes, I adore him. Look how thin I've grown just pin-
ing away for him. Mornings I used to loathe to grind
corn, Mamma would call me to eat, and anything I
put in my mouth had no taste at all."

Once more she burst into tears, stuffing the corner
of her apron into her mouth to drown her sobs.

"Look here, I'll help you out of this mess. Don't be
silly, child, don't cry. Don't think about the dude any
more! Honest to God, he's not worth it. You surely
know his game, dear? . . . That's the only reason why