Why he should hate Jim
so bitterly was not clear; that he did so hate the stranger was
self-evident. The more she studied her foreman the more her terror
grew, the more her lonely sense of weakness increased.
"Mr. Hervey," she said suddenly. "What's to be done?"
Her heart fell. He had avoided her eyes.
"I dunno," said Hervey. "You seen to-night that I treated him plumb
white. I put my cards on the table. I warned him fair and square. And
that after I'd given him a week's grace. A gent couldn't do any more
than that, I guess!"
He was right, in a way. At least, the whole populace of the mountains
would agree that he had given Red Jim every chance to leave the ranch
peaceably. And if he would not go peaceably, who could raise a finger
against Hervey for throwing the man off by force?
"But something more _has_ to be done," she said eagerly. "It _has_ to
be done!"
Hervey frowned at her.
"Look here," he said, in a more dictatorial manner than he had ever
used before. "Why you so interested in this Perris?"
She hesitated, but only for an instant. What did such a thing as shame
matter when the life of Perris might be saved by a confession? And
certainly Hervey would not dare to proceed against Perris if she made
such a confession.
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