and hasty words, forgot his late adversary and sprang
in pursuit, crying, "Smiles. Dear child, wait. I want to talk with you,
to explain...."

He ran over rock and crag blunderingly into the forest in the direction
she had taken, and, as he disappeared, Mike, who, during the combat, had
continually raged at his leash in futile frenzy, made a last desperate
effort, snapped the leather collar, although the effort drew a yelp of
pain from him, and tore after him.

He passed his master and overtook the fleeing girl, sagaciously sensing
the situation; but, as she paid no heed to his appealing barks and tugs
at her skirt, but merely ran the faster, he turned back to await his
lord. Body-weary and discomforted, Donald likewise gave up the chase as
the sound of Smiles' flight grew more distant and died away.

Eventually she too dropped into a walk, and finally stopped altogether,
with a deep, gasping sob. Throwing herself down at the foot of an
ancient tree, she pressed her flushed face hard against the rough bark,
her mind in a wretched turmoil.

For the first time in Smiles' young life her eyes had been opened, and
she had looked upon the brute passions of men, had tasted the bitter
gall of trust abused, had felt an anger which brought with it the desire
to hurt another as she herself had been hurt.

Stabbed to the quick of her soul, she lay on the moss-bedded roots of
the impassive tree, her body quivering with soundless, shuddering sobs.

She hated herself, the two men--and Judd less than Donald, for she had
known and excused his shortcomings, while in her childish eyes Dr.
MacDonald had been all that was noble, a super-man, an idol whose feet
were now clay. She hated the world where such things were possible.

For a long time Rose lay as she had fallen, hardly moving, and
when--pale and dry-eyed--she did arise to return to the cabin through
the twilight shadows, something beautiful, but indefinable, which had
gone to make up the fresh, childlike charm of her face, had vanished.

Meanwhile, Donald walked heavily on with bowed head, heedless of the
direction he took. The sound of rushing waters finally struck upon his
ear, and his heated, dirt-covered body turned instinctively in their
direction. A few minutes brought him to the river at a point where it
tore through a narrow ravine of rock, in dashing cataract and noisy
rapid. Donald, with increasing lameness, made his way painfully along
the craggy bank until it d