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Your dad was ready to bury the hatchet with his old enemy。 An' that
Nez Perce Jean Isbel； like the sneakin' savage he is； murdered your
uncle an' your dad。 。 。 。 Cut him horriblemade him suffer tortures
of hellall for Isbel revenge！〃
When Colter's husky voice ceased Ellen whispered through lips as cold
and still as ice； 〃Let me go 。 。 。 leave meheahalone！〃
〃Why； shore！ I reckon I understand；〃 replied Colter。 〃I hated to
tell y'u。 But y'u had to heah the truth aboot that half…breed。 。 。 。
I'll carry your pack in the cabin an' unroll your blankets。〃
Releasing her； Colter strode off in the gloom。 Like a dead weight；
Ellen began to slide until she slipped down full length beside the log。
And then she lay in the cool； damp shadow； inert and lifeless so far
as outward physical movement was concerned。 She saw nothing and felt
nothing of the night； the wind； the cold； the falling dew。 For the
moment or hour she was crushed by despair； and seemed to see herself
sinking down and down into a black； bottomless pit； into an abyss where
murky tides of blood and furious gusts of passion contended between her
body and her soul。 Into the stormy blast of hell！ In her despair she
longed； she ached for death。 Born of infidelity； cursed by a taint of
evil blood； further cursed by higher instinct for good and happy life；
dragged from one lonely and wild and sordid spot to another； never
knowing love or peace or joy or home； left to the companionship of
violent and vile men； driven by a strange fate to love with unquenchable
and insupportable love a' half…breed； a savage； an Isbel； the hereditary
enemy of her people； and at last the。 ruthless murderer of her father
what in the name of God had she left to live for？ Revenge！ An eye for
an eye！ A life for a life！ But she could not kill Jean Isbel。
Woman's love could turn to hate； but not the love of Ellen Jorth。
He could drag her by the hair in the dust； beat her； and make her a
thing to loathe； and cut her mortally in his savage and implacable
thirst for revengebut with her last gasp she would whisper she loved
him and that she had lied to him to kill his faith。 It was thathis
strange faith in her puritywhich had won her love。 Of all men； that
he should be the one to recognize the truth of her； the womanhood yet
unsulliedhow strange； how terrible； how overpowering！ False； indeed；
was she to the Jorths！ False as her mother had been to an Isbel！
This agony and destruction of her soul was the bitter Dead Sea fruit
the sins of her parents visited upon her。
〃I'll end it all；〃 she whispered to the night shadows that hovered
over her。 No coward was sheno fear of pain or mangled flesh or death
or the mysterious hereafter could ever stay her。 It would be easy； it
would be a last thrill； a transport of self…abasement and supreme
self…proof of her love for Jean Isbel to kiss the Rim rock where his
feet had trod and then fling herself down into the depths。 She was the
last Jorth。 So the wronged Isbels would be avenged。
〃But he would never knownever knowI lied to him！〃 she wailed
to the night wind。
She was lostlost on earth and to hope of heaven。 She had right
neither to live nor to die。 She was nothing but a little weed along
the trail of life； trampled upon； buried in the mud。 She was nothing
but a single rotten thread in a tangled web of love and hate and revenge。
And she had broken。
Lower and lower she seemed to sink。 Was there no end to this gulf of
despair？ If Colter had returned he would have found her a rag and a
toya creature degraded； fit for his vile embrace。 To be thrust deeper
into the mireto be punished fittingly for her betrayal of a man's
noble love and her own womanhoodto be made an end of； body； mind；
and soul。
But Colter did not return。
The wind mourned； the owls hooted； the leaves rustled； the insects
whispered their melancholy night song； the camp…fire flickered and faded。
Then the wild forestland seemed to close imponderably over Ellen。 All
that she wailed in her deapair； all that she confessed in her abasement；
was true； and hard as life could bebut she belonged to nature。 If
nature had not failed her； had God failed her？ It was therethe lonely
land of tree and fern and flower and brook； full of wild birds and beasts；
where the mossy rocks could speak and the solitude had ears； where she
had always felt herself unutterably a part of creation。 Thus a wavering
spark of hope quivered through the blackness of her soul and gathered
light。
The gloom of the sky； the shifting clouds of dull shade； split asunder
to show a glimpse of a radiant star； piercingly white； cold； pure；
a steadfast eye of the universe； beyond all understanding and
illimitable with its meaning of the past and the present and the
future。 Ellen watched it until the drifting clouds once more hid
it from her strained sight。
What had that star to do with hell？ She might be crushed and destroyed
by life； but was there not something beyond？ Just to be born； just to
suffer； just to diecould that be all？ Despair did not loose its hold
on Ellen； the strife and pang of her breast did not subside。 But with
the long hours and the strange closing in of the forest around her and
the fleeting glimpse of that wonderful star； with a subtle divination
of the meaning of her beating heart and throbbing mind； and； lastly；
with a voice thundering at her conscience that a man's faith in a
woman must not be greater； nobler； than her faith in God and eternity
with these she checked the dark flight of her soul toward destruction。
CHAPTER XII
A chill； gray； somber dawn was breaking when Ellen dragged herself
into the cabin and crept under her blankets； there to sleep the sleep
of exhaustion。
When she awoke the hour appeared to be late afternoon。 Sun and sky
shone through the sunken and decayed roof of the old cabin。 Her uncle；
Tad Jorth； lay upon a blanket bed upheld by a crude couch of boughs。
The light fell upon his face； pale； lined； cast in a still mold of
suffering。 He was not dead； for she heard his respiration。
The floor underneath Ellen's blankets was bare clay。 She and Jorth
were alone in this cabin。 It contained nothing besides their beds
and a rank growth of weeds along the decayed lower logs。 Half of the
cabin had a rude ceiling of rough…hewn boards which formed a kind of loft。
This attic extended through to the adjoining cabin； forming the ceiling
of the porch…like space between the two structures。 There was no
partition。 A ladder of two aspen saplings； pegged to the logs； and
with braces between for steps； led up to the attic。
Ellen smelled wood smoke and the odor of frying meat； and she heard the
voices of men。 She looked out to see that Slater and Somers had joined
their partyan addition that might have strengthened it for defense；
but did not lend her own situation anything favorable。 Somers had
always appeared the one best to avoid。
Colter espied her and called her to 〃Come an' feed your pale face。〃
His comrades laughed； not loudly； but guardedly； as if noise was
something to avoid。 Nevertheless； they awoke Tad Jorth； who began
to toss and moa