ing out that she was dead.

The whole scene recurred to him when he told Dorothy of Wade's
disappearance, and saw her face flush and then pale, as his mother's had
done. The girl did not actually faint, for she was young and wonderfully
strong, but she came so near to it that he was obliged to support her
with his arm to keep her on her feet. That was cruel, too, for he loved
her. But presently she recovered, and swept from his mind all thought of
himself by her piteous appeal to him to go instantly in search of Wade.

"We'll find him, Dorothy, don't you worry," he declared, with an
appearance of confidence he was far from feeling. "I came around to tell
you myself because I wanted you to know that we are right on the job."

"But how can you find him in all those mountains, Lem? You don't even
know which side of the range they've hidden him on."

He reminded her that he had been born in Crawling Water Valley, and that
he knew every draw and canyon in the mountains; but in his heart he
realized that to search all these places would take half a lifetime. He
could only hope that chance, or good fortune, might lead them promptly
to the spot they sought.

"Do you think that Senator Rexhill knows where Gordon is?" she asked.
"Is he in this, too?"

"I don't know for sure," he answered. "I believe Moran is acting under
Rexhill's orders, but I don't know how much Rexhill knows of the
details. If I knew that, it would be fairly easy. I'd...." His strong
hands gripped the back of a chair until his knuckles showed white under
their tan. "I'd choke it out of him!"

"Oh, if there was only something I could do!" Dorothy wailed helplessly.
"A woman never can do anything in a crisis but _wait_!" Her distress was
so pitiable to witness that Trowbridge averted his gaze.

"We'll do all that can be done, Dorothy," he assured her. "Trust me for
that. Besides--" A thought had just flashed into his head which might
relieve her sense of helplessness. "Besides, we're going to need you
here in town to keep us informed of what goes on."

"If I learn anything, how can I get word to you?" she asked, her face
brightening somewhat. "You'll be up in the hills."

"I'll try to keep a man at the big pine all the time. If you find out
anything send word to him."

"Oh, yes, I will, I will. That'll be something anyhow." Her eyes
sparkling with tears, she gave him both her hands. "Good-by, Lem!"

"Good-by, Dorothy," he said solemnly, wringing her