The Border Legion

"Gulden shot two men this morning. One's dead. The other's in bad

shape, so Red tells me. I haven't seen him."

"Who--who are they?" faltered Joan. She could not think of any man

except Jim Cleve.

"Dan Small's the one's dead. The other they call Dick. Never heard

his last name."

"Was it a fight?"

"Of course. And Gulden picked it. He's a quarrelsome man. Nobody can

go against him. He's all the time like some men when they're drunk.

I'm sorry I didn't bore him last night. I would have done it if it

hadn't been for Red Pearce."

Kells seemed gloomy and concentrated on his situation and he talked

naturally to Joan, as if she were one to sympathize. A bandit, then,

in the details of his life, the schemes, troubles, friendships,

relations, was no different from any other kind of a man. He was

human, and things that might constitute black evil for observers

were dear to him, a part of him. Joan feigned the sympathy she could

not feel.

"I thought Gulden was your enemy."

Kells sat down on one of the box seats, and his heavy gun-sheath

rested upon the floor. He looked at Joan now, forgetting she was a

woman and his prisoner.

"I never thought of that till now," he said. "We always got along

because I understood him. I managed him. The man hasn't changed in

the least. He's always what he is. But there's a difference. I

noticed that first over in Lost Canon. And Joan, I believe it's

because Gulden saw you."

"Oh, no!" cried Joan, trembling.

"Maybe I'm wrong. Anyway something's wrong. Gulden never had a

friend or a partner. I don't misunderstand his position regarding

Bailey. What did he care for that soak? Gulden's cross-grained. He

opposes anything or anybody. He's got a twist in his mind that makes

him dangerous. ... I wanted to get rid of him. I decided to--after

last night. But now it seems that's no easy job."

"Why?" asked Joan, curiously.

"Pearce and Wood and Beard, all men I rely on, said it won't do.

They hint Gulden is strong with my gang here, and all through the

border. I was wild. I don't believe it. But as I'm not sure--what

can I do? ... They're all afraid of Gulden. That's it. ... And I

believe I am, too."

"You!" exclaimed Joan.

Kells actually looked ashamed. "I believe I am, Joan," he replied.

"That Gulden is not a man. I never was afraid of a real man. He's--

he's an animal."