histling cheerily. He was still whistling when MacDonald returned. He
broke off sharply when he saw the other's face.

"What's the matter, Mac?" he asked. "You sick?"

"It weren't pleasant, Johnny."

Aldous nodded toward the tent.

"It was--beastly," he whispered. "But we can't let her feel that way about
it, Mac. Cheer up--and let's get out of this place. We'll have dinner
somewhere over in the valley."

They continued packing until only the tent remained to be placed on Pinto's
back. Aldous resumed his loud whistling as he tightened up the
saddle-girths, and killed time in half a dozen other ways. A quarter of an
hour passed. Still Joanne did not appear. Aldous scratched his head
dubiously, and looked at the tent.

"I don't want to disturb her, Mac," he said in a low voice. "Let's keep up
the bluff of being busy. We can put out the fire."

Ten minutes later, sweating and considerably smokegrimed, Aldous again
looked toward the tent.

"We might cut down a few trees," suggested MacDonald.

"Or play leap-frog," added Aldous.

"The trees'd sound more natcherel," said MacDonald. "We could tell her----"

A stick snapped behind them. Both turned at the same instant. Joanne stood
facing them not ten feet away.

"Great Scott!" gasped Aldous. "Joanne, I thought you were in the tent!"

The beautiful calmness in Joanne's face amazed him. He stared at her as he
spoke, forgetting altogether the manner in which he had intended to greet
her when she came from the tent.

"I went out the back way--lifted the canvas and crawled under just like a
boy," she explained. "And I've walked until my feet are wet."

"And the fire is out!"

"I don't mind wet feet," she hurried to assure him.

Old Donald was already at work pulling the tent-pegs. Joanne came close to
Aldous, and he saw again that deep and wonderful light in her eyes. This
time he knew that she meant he should see it, and words which he had
determined not to speak fell softly from his lips.

"You are no longer afraid, Ladygray? That which you dreaded----"

"Is dead," she said. "And you, John Aldous? Without knowing, seeing me only
as you have seen me, do you think that I am terrible?"

"No, could not think that."

Her hand touched his arm.

"Will you go out there with me, in the sunlight, where we can look down
upon the little lake?" she asked. "Until to-day I had made up my mind that
no one but myself would ever know the truth. But you have been good to m