y
impatient to hasten their departure. Vosper packed the hungry horses,
slyly depositing portions of their supplies and equipment in the
evergreen thickets to lighten his own work. He further lightened the
packs by putting a load on Mulvaney. And they climbed down to the
water's edge to glance once more at the turbulent stream.

"No use of waiting any more," Lounsbury said at last.

"Of course not. Get on your horse." Then they rode away, these
two worthy men, back toward the settlements. Some of the pack
horses--particularly the yellow Baldy and his kind--moved eagerly when
they saw that their masters had changed directions. But Vosper had to
urge Mulvaney on with oaths and blows.

VIII

In Virginia's first moment of wakening she could not distinguish
realities from dreams. All the experiences of the night before seemed
for the moment only the adventures of a nightmare. But disillusionment
came quickly. She opened her eyes to view the cabin walls, and the full
dreadfulness of her situation swept her in an instant.

Her tears came first. She couldn't restrain them, and they were simply
the natural expression of her fear and her loneliness and her distress.
For long moments she sobbed bitterly, yet softly as she could. But
Virginia was of good metal, and in the past few days she had acquired a
certain measure of self-discipline. She began to struggle with her
tears. They would waken Bill, she thought--and she had not forgotten
his bravery and his toil of the night before. She conquered them at
last, and, miserable and sick of heart, tried to go back to sleep.

Her muscles pained her, her throat was raw from the water, and when she
tried to make herself comfortable her limbs were stiff and aching. But
she knew she had to look her position in the face. She turned, pains
shooting through her frame, and gazed about her.

The cabin, she could see, was rather larger than any of those in which
they had camped on their journey. It was well-chinked and sturdy, and
even had the luxury of a window. For the moment she didn't see Bill at
all. She wondered if he had gone out. Then, moving nearer to the edge
of her cot, she looked over intending to locate the clothes she had
taken off the night before. Then she saw him, stretched on the floor in
the farthest corner of the room.

He gave the impression of having dropped with exhaustion and fallen to
sleep where he lay. She could see that he still wore