g, and producing a corncob pipe and a quantity of natural leaf
tobacco, proceeded to enjoy herself in her own fashion. "This here's all
right," she remarked. "We might be a heap worse off'n we air."

I could not help pitying the young woman who crouched near her at the
fireside, still shivering; she seemed so young and helpless and so out
of place in such surroundings. As presently the heat of the flame made
her more comfortable, she began to tuck back the tumbled locks of her
hair, which I could see was thick and dark. The firelight showed in
silhouette the outlines of her face. It seemed to me I had never seen
one more beautiful. I remembered the round firmness of her body in my
arms, the clasp of her hands about my neck, her hair blown across my
cheek, and I reflected that since fortune had elected me to be a
rescuer, it was not ill that so fair an object had been there for the
rescuing.

Perhaps she felt my gaze, for presently she turned and said to me, in as
pleasant a speaking voice as I had ever heard, "Indeed, it might be
worse. I thank you so much. It was very brave of you."

"Listen at that!" grunted Mandy McGovern. "What'd them men have to do
with it? Where'd you all be now if it wasn't for me?"

"You'd be much better off," I ventured, "if I hadn't done any rescuing
at all, and if we'd all stayed over there on the boat." I pointed to the
lights of the _River Belle_, lying on the opposite shore, something like
a mile above us.

"We're all right now," said old Auberry after a time. "If we can't get
across to the boat, it's only four or five miles up to the settlements
on this side, opposite the old Independence landing."

"I couldn't walk," said the girl. She shyly looked down at the edge of
her thin wrapper, and I saw the outline of an uncovered toe.

"Here, ma'am," said Auberry, unknotting from his neck a heavy bandana.
"This is the best I can do. You and the woman see if you can tie up your
feet somehow."

The girl hesitated, laughed, and took the kerchief. She and Mandy bent
apart, and I heard the ripping of the handkerchief torn across. The girl
turned back to the fire and put out a little foot for us to see, muffled
now in the red folds of the kerchief. Her thin garments by this time
were becoming dry, and her spirits now became more gay. She fell into a
ready comradeship with us.

As she stood at the fire, innocent of its defining light, I saw that she
was a beautiful creature, apparently about