The Border Legion

At her declaration the preacher gave a start that must have been

suspicion or confirmation, or both. He bent low to peer into the

face of the dead Pearce. When he arose he was shaking his head.

Evidently he had decided that Pearce was not the man to whom he had

married Joan.

"Please remove your mask," he said to Joan.

She did so, swiftly, without a tremor. The preacher peered into her

face again, as he had upon the night he had married her to Jim. He

faced Kells again.

"I am beyond your threats," he said, now with calmness. "I can't

marry you to a woman who already has a husband. ... But I don't see

that husband here."

"You don't see that husband here!" echoed the bewildered Kells. He

stared with open mouth. "Say, have you got a screw loose?"

The preacher, in his swift glance, had apparently not observed the

half-hidden Cleve. Certainly it appeared now that he would have no

attention for any other than Kells. The bandit was a study. His

astonishment was terrific and held him like a chain. Suddenly he

lurched.

"What did you say?" he roared, his face flaming.

"I can't marry you to a woman who already has a husband."

Swift as light the red flashed out of Kells's face. "Did you ever

see her before?" he asked.

"Yes," replied the preacher.

"Where and when?"

"Here--at the back of this cabin--a few nights ago."

It hurt Joan to look at Kells now, yet he seemed wonderful to

behold. She felt as guilty as if she had really been false to him.

Her heart labored high in her breast. This was the climax--the

moment of catastrophe. Another word and Jim Cleve would be facing

Kells. The blood pressure in Joan's throat almost strangled her.

"At the back of this cabin! ... At her window?"

"Yes."

"What were you there for?"

"In my capacity as minister. I was summoned to marry her."

"To marry her?" gasped Kells.

"Yes. She is Joan Randle, from Hoadley, Idaho. She is over eighteen.

I understood she was detained here against her will. She loved an

honest young miner of the camp. He brought me up here one night. And

I married them."

"YOU--MARRIED--THEM!"

"Yes."

Kells was slow in assimilating the truth and his action corresponded

with his mind. Slowly his hand moved toward his gun. He drew it,

threw it aloft. And then all the terrible evil in the man flamed

forth. But as he deliberately drew down on the preacher Blicky

leaped forward and knocked up the gun. Flash and report followed;

the discharge went into the roof. Blicky grasped Kells's arm and

threw his weight upon it to keep it down.