His eyes were stormy, his face tragic in its bitterness.
"Oh, you don't know how I worshipped that woman, trusted her, would have banked my life on her; and when I was away making money for her she ups and goes away with that slimy reptile. In the old days I would have torn him to pieces, but now——"
He sighed distractedly.
"What am I to do? What am I to do? The Good Book says forgive your enemies, but how can I forgive a wrong like that? And my poor girl—he deserted her, drove her to the streets. Ugh! if I could kill him by slow torture, gloat over his agony—but I can't, can I?"
"No, Jim, you can't do anything. Vengeance is the Lord's."
"Yes, I know, I know. But it's hard, it's hard. O my girl, my girl!"
Tears overran his cheeks. He sat down on a log, burying his face in his hands.
"O God, help and sustain me in this my hour of need."
I was at a loss how to comfort him, and it was while I was waiting there that suddenly we saw the Halfbreed coming up the trail.
"Better come in, Jim," I said, "and hear what he's got to say."