quite so fast, yung lady," he said, stuttering a bit and holding
the pipe in his hand. "I reckon I wus thar all right, just as ye say,
an' thet I did yer a mighty mean turn, but I ain't such a dern ornary
cuss as ye think--am I, Cap?"

"No, you are not," I hastened to explain. "Miss Beaucaire does not
understand, that is all. We have been talking together for some time,
but I had forgotten to tell her that you were one of her rescuers.
Kennedy here, merely supposed he was doing his duty, until he learned
what Kirby contemplated. Then he refused to have any hand in it and
the two quarreled. Shall I relate that part of the story?"

Her eyes softened, her lips almost smiling.

"Yes," she said. "I am glad to know; tell me all."

I described Tim's part in the whole tragedy swiftly, while he shifted
awkwardly from one foot to the other and occasionally interjected some
comment or correction. He was not wholly at ease in the role of hero,
nor under the steadfast gaze of her eyes. As I stopped speaking she
held out her hand frankly.

"Then I shall count you my friend now," she said simply. "And I am so
delighted to understand everything. There are four of us here,
counting the mulatto girl, and we are in hiding not far from Yellow
Banks. You both think that Kirby and Rale must be hunting us already?"

"Probably; they are very certain not to be very far away. I was
planning our course when I glanced up and caught your eyes watching
me--"

"And I--I thought I saw a ghost," she interrupted. "And then, when,
you actually spoke, I--I was so glad."

Tim's eyes fell upon the map, lying outspread on the ground.

"An' whut did ye think wus best, Cap?" he inquired gravely. "'Tain't
likely we got all summer ter sit 'round yere an' talk in. I reckon we
done rested 'bout long 'nough. 'Tain't such a bad place, but my notion
is, we ought ter be joggin' 'long."

"Mine also. Come over here, both of you, and I'll give you my idea. I
figured our chances in this way."

In a few words I explained my choice of route, pointing it out on the
map and telling them briefly why I was afraid to seek refuge either at
Fort Madison or Fort Armstrong, or, indeed, at any of the nearer
settlements. Eloise said nothing, her gaze rising from the map to our
faces as we debated the question, for Tim spoke his mind freely, his
stubby forefinger tracing the course I had indicated.

"Thar's a trail south o' yere thet leads ter a town c