emplation of his philosophic mind, but the nature of him
defied all better sense, and drove him to a resolution as stubborn and
invincible as that of Kars himself. And Kars had no other thought but
of the objective to be gained. Only physical disaster could stop him.
So his whole strength was flung into the melting pot of achievement.

The Indian had no other feeling than the pride of a brief leadership.
The aboriginal in him was intensely stirred. Here he was in his native
element. Here he could teach the great man who was, in his curiously
warped mind, far above all others. Besides, was there not at the end
to be a satisfaction of all the savage instincts in him? He knew the
Bell River neches, whom he hated so cordially in common with all others
of his race, were to be outwitted, defeated. And his share in that
outwitting was to be a large one, and would only go to prove further
what a contemptible thing the neche really was.

So he brought to his aid all those faculties which he owed to his
forebears, and which had been practised in the purposes of his crooked
youth. Nor had he the wit to understand that the "contemptible" Indian
in him was serving him to the limit in this effort he was putting forth.

The tremendous climb terminated on the wooded crests of the walls of
the great gorge. And the white men paused, thankful enough for the
moment of relaxation, while Charley scouted for his bearings. But the
pause was of the briefest. Charley was back almost before the tired
muscles had relaxed. The briefest announcement in the scout's pigeon
English and the journey was resumed.

"Charley's eye all clear. We go?"

The life-line was recoiled, and the scout wore it over one shoulder,
and across his chest. He had secret hopes for that rope which he
imparted to no one.

The way through the virgin forest was almost brief. In a half hour
they stood clear of it with a dark stretch of open country stretching
out before them. Nor was there the least hesitation. Charley picked
out his way, as a cat will pass through the darkest apartment without
colliding with the furnishings. He seemed to read through the darkness
with a mental torch.

A mile of the way lay over a stretch of attenuated grass along a ridge
that sloped away to the depths of a narrow valley, which converged upon
the river some miles to the north. Then came a drop, a steady decline
which brought them to a wider and shallower part of the vall