ton of
the station house, roofless and partly fallen, white-ashed and still
faintly smoking.

For long moments she regarded this sign of the destruction which had
been wrought. Nor was the sigh which escaped her wholly of regret. A
deep stirring was in her heart. She was thinking of the heroic battle
which the station home had witnessed. She was thinking of the
desperate odds one man had faced within those four walls. She was
thinking, too, of the victory which ultimately had been his. But the
cost. She shuddered. And her eyes came back to the white upturned
features of the man before her.

She started. The man's eyes were open. Tenderly she raised a hand and
smoothed the cold forehead with its soft palm. Tears of emotion had
gathered in her eyes on the instant. But they did not overflow down
her cheeks.

The eyes closed again. The lids moved slowly, as though reluctant to
perform their office. The girl literally held her breath. Would they
open again? Or---- Her question was answered almost on the instant.
They reopened. This time even more widely. They were staring straight
up at the starlit sky, quite unmoving. There was no consciousness in
them, and barely life.

Nan waited for some long apprehensive moments. Her heart was full of a
wild, new-born hope. But fear held her, too. At last she moved. She
withdrew herself gently but swiftly. Then she stood up, a picture of
dapper womanhood in the white shirt-waist and loose riding breeches
which the coat spread over the man's body should have held concealed.
A moment later the darkness swallowed her up as she sped down the trail
which passed near by.

With her going there crept into the man's vacant eyes the first real
sign of life.

Five minutes later the girl was back at his side. But she had not
returned alone. Bud was with her, and together they bent over the
prostrate form. The girl was kneeling. She had gently taken
possession of one of the bandaged hands lying inert at the man's side.
Tenderly enough she held it between her own soft palms and chafed it,
while her shining eyes, yielding all the secrets of her devoted heart,
gazed yearningly down into his.

"Jeff!" she murmured, in a low, eager tone. "Jeff!"

There was no response. The eyes were fixed and staring.

Bud had less scruples in his anxious impatience.

"Say, that ain't no sort o' way to wake him, Nan," he whispered
hoarsely. Then in his deep gruff voice he dis