be something rotten about a woman who will do a thing
of that sort."

"Wait till you've seen her before passing judgment. And after you have
you'll apologize if you're a white man for thinking such a thing about
her," the miner said hotly.

Yesler looked at his friend in amiable surprise. "I don't reckon we
need to quarrel about Simon Harley's matrimonial affairs, do we?" he
laughed.

"Not unless you want to say any harm of that lamb."

A glitter of mischief gleamed from the cattleman's eyes. "Meaning
Harley, Waring?"

"You know who I mean. I tell you she's an angel from heaven, pure as
the driven snow."

"And I tell you that I'll take your word for it without quarreling with
you," was the goodhumored retort. "What's up, anyhow? I never saw you
so touchy before. You're a regular pepper-box."

The rescuers had brought food with them, and the party ate lunch before
starting back. The cow-punchers of the C B had now joined them, both of
them, as well as their horses, very tired with the heavy travel.

"This here Marathon race business through three-foot snow ain't for
invalids like me and Husky," one of them said cheerfully, with his
mouth full of sandwich. "We're also rans, and don't even show for
place."

Yet though two of them had, temporarily at least, been rescued from
imminent danger, and success beyond their expectations had met the
others, it was a silent party. A blanket of depression seemed to rest
upon it, which the good stories of Yesler and the genial nonsense of
his man, Chinn, were unable to lift. Three of them, at least, were
brooding over what the morning had brought forth, and trying to realize
what it might mean for them.

"We'd best be going, I expect," said Yesler at last. "We've got a right
heavy bit of work cut out for us, and the horses are through feeding.
We can't get started any too soon for me."

Ridgway nodded silently. He knew that the stockman was dubious, as he
himself was, about being able to make the return trip in safety. The
horses were tired; so, too, were the men who had broken the heavy trail
for so many miles, with the exception of Sam himself, who seemed built
of whipcord and elastic. They would be greatly encumbered by the woman,
for she would certainly give out during the journey. The one point in
their favor was that they could follow a trail which had already been
trodden down.

Simon Harley helped his wife into the boy's saddle on the back of the
animal they h