's shoes, having the witness of my own eyes and ears, I would
still have found excuse and exculpation for her.

I stole a glance at Jennifer. He was sitting with his face in his hands,
a silent figure of a strong man humbled. He had called her a Delilah,
and the green withes of her binding cut sore into the flesh.

"You say you love her, Dick; can you believe her capable of this, and
yet go on loving her?" I asked.

He let me see his face. It was haggard and grief-marred.

"I'd pay the devil's own price could I say 'no' to that, Jack. But I can
not."

"Then I swear I love her better than you do, Richard Jennifer. She hates
me well--God knows she has good cause to hate me fiercely; yet I would
trust her with my life."

I looked to see him pin me down at this; and though the words had
fairly shaped and said themselves, I laid fast hold of my courage and
was prepared to make them good. But he would only smile and draw the
bearskin cover over me, tucking me in as tenderly as a mother, and
saying very gently:

"So she has bewitched you, too; and now there are two poor fools of love
instead of one. But you are stronger than I, Jack. You will break the
spell and put it down and live beyond it, and that I never shall--God
help me!" And with that, he went to his own bed beside the fire, telling
me I must lie quiet and try to sleep.

I did lie quiet, but sleep came not, nor did I woo it. For long past the
time when I could hear his measured breathing, I lay awake to plan how I
might draw the baronet's man-hunt to myself, and so free my loyal
Richard of the peril that by rights was mine.

XVII

SHOWING HOW LOVE TOOK TOLL OF FRIENDSHIP

For some few days after Jennifer's narrow escape at the entrance to our
hiding place, the Cherokees were hot upon our scent, quartering the
forest on both banks of the river, determined, as it seemed, to hunt or
starve us out.

It was in this time of siege that I came to know, as I had not known
before, the depth and tenderness of my dear lad's love for me. While the
life-tide was at its ebb and I was querulous and helpless weak, he was
my leech and nurse and heartening friend in one. And later, when the
tide was fairly turned and I had found my soldier's appetite again, he
spent many of the nights abroad and never let me guess what risks he ran
to fetch me dainties from the outer world.

In this night raiding no danger was too great to hold him back from
serving me. Once, w