e the tension he had been under.

Another half-hour, and he came up out of the dip behind Sokwenna's
cabin and tried the door. It was locked. A voice answered his knock, and
he called out his name. The bolt shot back, the door opened, and he
stepped in. Nawadlook stood at her bedroom door, a gun in her hands.
Keok faced him, holding grimly to a long knife, and between them,
staring white-faced at him as he entered, was Mary Standish. She came
forward to meet him, and he heard a whisper from Nawadlook, and saw Keok
follow her swiftly through the door into the other room.

Mary Standish held out her hands to him a little blindly, and the
tremble in her throat and the look in her eyes betrayed the struggle she
was making to keep from breaking down and crying out in gladness at his
coming. It was that look that sent a flood of joy into his heart, even
when he saw the torture and hopelessness behind it. He held her hands
close, and into her eyes he smiled in such a way that he saw them widen,
as if she almost disbelieved; and then she drew in a sudden quick
breath, and her fingers clung to him. It was as if the hope that had
deserted her came in an instant into her face again. He was not excited.
He was not even perturbed, now that he saw that light in her eyes and
knew she was safe. But his love was there. She saw it and felt the force
of it behind the deadly calmness with which he was smiling at her. She
gave a little sob, so low it was scarcely more than a broken breath; a
little cry that came of wonder--understanding--and unspeakable faith in
this man who was smiling at her so confidently in the face of the
tragedy that had come to destroy her.

"Rossland is in your cabin," she whispered. "And John Graham is back
there--somewhere--coming this way. Rossland says that if I don't go to
him of my own free will--"

He felt the shudder that ran through her.

"I understand the rest," he said. They stood silent for a moment. The
gray-cheeked thrush was singing on the roof. Then, as if she had been a
child, he took her face between his hands and bent her head back a
little, so that he was looking straight into her eyes, and so near that
he could feel the sweet warmth of her breath.

"You didn't make a mistake the day I went away?" he asked. "You--love
me?"

"Yes."

For a moment longer he looked into her eyes. Then he stood back from
her. Even Keok and Nawadlook heard his laugh. It was strange, they
thought--Keok with he