I might have known."

There was a piteous ring in her low tones. Seth stirred again, but she
went on desperately.

"Yes, I see it all. A descent will be made upon us, upon this farm. You
will be done to death for me. Ma and Pa, and auntie and--and you."

She paused, but went on again at once.

"Yes, and I see further now. I see what you have already grasped. They
have these scouts out around the fort to watch. When it comes they mean to
cut the soldiers off. There will be no help for us. Only--only this
stockade. Oh, Seth, how can you forgive me! You and Pa have foreseen all
this trouble. And you have prepared for it all you can. Is there no help?
Can I do nothing to atone for what I have done? You stand there without a
word of blame for me. You never blame me--any of you. I wish I were dead!
Seth, why don't you kill me?"

But as the girl's hysterical outburst reached its culminating point, Seth
regained perfect mastery of himself. He noted the rush of tears which
followed her words with a pang of infinite pity, but he told himself that
he dare not attempt to comfort her. Instead, his calm voice, with its
wonderful power of reassurance, fell upon the stillness of the night.

"Little gal, things are jest as they must be. The blame is on me fer not
bein' quicker an' handier wi' my gun when I had the chance. But, howsum,
Parker's a hefty man. He ken think an' act quick. We're ready, far as we
ken be."

Rosebud dried her tears. Never in her life had Seth appeared to her as he
appeared now. The steady, unruffled purpose of the man exalted him in her
eyes to an impossible position. Somehow the feelings he roused in her
lifted her out of her womanly weakness. She, too, was capable of great,
unswerving devotion, but she did not realize it. She only felt that she,
too, must bear her part in whatever fortune had in store for them. She
would range herself beside this man and share in his success or failure.
If it were to be failure she was ready to die at his side. If it were
success--a great exultation swept over her at the thought. She went no
further. Success at his side would be worth--everything.

"Tell me what I can do--anything!" she cried. Her tone was low, but it
rang with a note the man had never heard in it before. There was a joy in
it that startled him. "Seth, I believe--I know--I want to--to fight. My
blood is running like fire. Tell me what I am to do."

It was a few moments before Seth answered her. He was