you
here, and I'm going to keep you here!"

I slipped my hand into the satchel in my lap, and it touched my
revolver. No touch of human fingers ever brought such comfort. With a
deep breath of thanksgiving I drew it out and cocked it, and as I did so
he recognized the sudden click.

"Here! What have you got there?" he snapped.

"I have a revolver," I replied, as steadily as I could. "And it is
cocked and aimed straight at your back. Now drive on. If you stop again,
or speak, I'll shoot you."

For an instant or two he blustered.

"By God," he cried, "you wouldn't dare."

"Wouldn't I?" I asked. "Try me by speaking just once more."

Even as I spoke I felt my hair rise on my scalp with the horror of the
moment, which seemed worse than any nightmare a woman could experience.
But the man was conquered by the knowledge of the waiting, willing
weapon just behind him. He laid his whip savagely on the backs of his
horses and they responded with a leap that almost knocked me out of the
wagon.

The rest of the night was a black terror I shall never forget. He did
not speak again, nor stop, but I dared not relax my caution for an
instant. Hour after hour crawled toward day, and still I sat in the
unpierced darkness, the revolver ready. I knew he was inwardly raging,
and that at any instant he might make a sudden jump and try to get the
revolver away from me. I decided that at his slightest movement I must
shoot. But dawn came at last, and just as its bluish light touched the
dark tips of the pines we drove up to the log hotel in the settlement
that was our destination. Here my driver spoke.

"Get down," he said, gruffly. "This is the place."

I sat still. Even yet I dared not trust him. Moreover, I was so stiff
after my vigil that I was not sure I could move.

"You get down," I directed, "and wake up the landlord. Bring him out
here."

He sullenly obeyed and aroused the hotel-owner, and when the latter
appeared I climbed out of the wagon with some effort but without
explanation. That morning I preached in my friend's pulpit as I had
promised to do, and the rough building was packed to its doors with
lumbermen who had come in from the neighboring camp. Their appearance
caused great surprise, as they had never attended a service before.
They formed a most picturesque congregation, for they all wore brilliant
lumber-camp clothing--blue or red shirts with yellow scarfs twisted
around their waists, and gay-colored jacket