e floor nearest the
door. He left the door open.

From the outside only occasional sounds came now. The Indians were
busy and silent. Within the house it was so still that Ambrose could
hear Gordon Strange puffing at his pipe.

The half-breed was sitting in the doorway outside, with his chair
tipped back against the wall. By and by Ambrose heard the front legs
of the chair drop to the floor, and an instinct of caution bade him
close his eyes and breathe deeply like a man asleep.

Sure enough Strange came into the library. He was taking no pains to
be silent. Stepping over Ambrose he crossed to the mantel, where he
fumbled for matches, and striking one made believe to relight his pipe.

Now Ambrose knew that Strange had matches, for when they took John
Gaviller up he had seen him light the lamp at the foot of the stairs
and return the box to his pocket.

This then must be a reconnoitering expedition. Ambrose had no doubt
that when the match flared up the half-breed took a survey of the
sleeping men.

He left the room, and Ambrose heard the chair tipped back against the
wall once more.

A little later Ambrose became conscious that Strange was at the library
door again, though this time he had not heard him come.

He paused a second and passed away as silently as a ghost--but whether
back to his chair or farther into the house Ambrose could not tell.

Rising swiftly to his hands and knees he stuck his head out of the
door. There was light enough from the outside to reveal the outlines
of the chair--empty.

Without a thought Ambrose turned in the other direction and crept
swiftly and softly through the passage into the stair hall. He did not
know what he expected to find. His heart beat thick and fast.

He scarcely suspected danger to Colina, who was strong and brave. Was
it her father? Reaching the foot of the stairs he heard a velvet
footfall above.

He hastened up on all fours. The stairs were thickly carpeted.
Gaining the top his strained ears detected the whisper of a sound that
suggested the closing of Gaviller's door.

He knew the room. It was over the drawing-room, and cut off from the
other rooms of the house. To reach the door one had to pass around the
rail of the upper landing.

Arriving at the door he did indeed find it closed. Under the
circumstances he was sure Colina would have left it open.

He did not stop to think of what he was doing. With infinite slow
patience he tu