whose dead body was lying, now, at the
foot of the cliff. When the darkness came, the mountaineer ate a cold
supper and, under a rude shelter quickly improvised by his skill in
woodcraft, slept beside the trail. Near the head of Clear Creek, Jack
Carleton, on his way to Granite Peak, rolled in his blanket under the
pines. Somewhere in the night, the man who had saved Sibyl Andres and
Aaron King, each for the other, fled like a fearful, hunted thing.

* * * * *

At daybreak, Sibyl was up, preparing their breakfast But so quietly did
she move about her homely task that the artist did not awake. When the
meal was ready, she called him, and he sprang to his feet, declaring that
he felt himself a new man. Breakfast over, they set out at once.

When they came to the cliff at the head of the gulch, the girl halted and,
shrinking back, covered her face with trembling hands; afraid, for the
first time in her life, to set foot upon a mountain trail. Gently, her
companion led her across the ledge, and a little way back from the rim of
the gorge on the other side.

Five minutes later they heard a shout and saw Brian Oakley coming toward
them. Laughing and crying, Sibyl ran to meet him; and the mountaineer, who
had so many times looked death in the face, unafraid and unmoved, wept
like a child as he held the girl in his arms.

When Sibyl and Aaron had related briefly the events that led up to their
meeting with the Ranger, and he in turn had told them how he had followed
the track of the automobile and, finding the hidden supplies, had followed
the trail of James Rutlidge from that point, the officer asked the girl
several questions. Then, for a little while he was silent, while they,
guessing his thoughts, did not interrupt. Finally, he said, "Jack is due
at Granite Peak, sometime about noon. He'll have his horse, and with Sibyl
riding, we'll make it back down to the head of Clear Creek by dark. You
young folks just wait for me here a little. I want to look around below
there, a bit."

As he started toward the gulch, Sibyl sprang to her feet and threw herself
into his arms. "No, no, Brian Oakley, you shall not--you shall not do it!"

Holding her close, the Ranger looked down into her pleading eyes,
smilingly. "And what do you think I am going to do, girlie?"

"You are going down there to pick up the trail of the man who saved
Aaron--who saved me. But you shall not do it. I don't care if you are