“Not after what I ben a-hearin’, I ain’t!”
She sprang forward, catching at his knee. 218
“What––what you ben a-hearin’? There ain’t nothin’ about me you could a-heard, Buck, dear! Nothin’ in this world! I ben true to you as your shadow!”
Every soul within hearing knew the words for the utter and absolute truth, yet Courtrey looked at Wylackie Bob, at Arizona, and laughed.
“Like hell, you have!” he said, struck the Ironwood and was gone around the corner of the house with the sound of thunder.
Ellen wet her lips and looked around like a wounded animal.
Her brother Cleve, saddling up a little way apart, cast a long studying glance at Wylackie and Arizona. He jerked the cinch so savagely that the horse leaped and struck.
For four days there was absolute dearth at the Stronghold.
Courtrey did not return. Ellen timidly tried to find out from the vaqueros where he had gone, but they evaded her.
Then, on the morning of that day, Steptoe Service, grinning and important, came to the Stronghold and served on Ellen a summons in suit for divorce.