rio. I helps you along, sure."

He had dashed towards him with devastating speed. The fellow turned to
run, but a second later the slack of some of his garments was in
Stefan's huge hand. Struggling and backing he found himself half
lifted, half propelled on the ground, all the way to the sled. There
he was lifted high and dumped in, like a bag of feed.

"Any oders as need help?" roared Stefan.

But they were hastening for all they were worth. Kilrea took the
reins. The three women were already seated. The others jumped in and
the horses started home again, even before the Carcajou Vigilantes had
finished spreading robes over their shaky knees. Striking a bit of
flat bare rock, the runners spat out fire and squealed, after which
the heavy sled slithered and slipped over the crackling snow, so that
presently the outfit disappeared around the first bend in the
tote-road.

Miss Sophy McGurn looked particularly down-hearted. None of the
interesting events she expected had taken place. She had merely
succeeded in nearly giving herself away and arousing suspicions.

And the girl was still there, with Hugo! She had believed that Hugo
would be found sheepish and embarrassed, or in a regular fury, while
the stranger would weep and wring her hands and seek to explain. And
the invading crowd was to have manifested its indignation at this
breach of all decency and proper custom, and sent the woman away,
while they would have told the man what they thought of him, in spite
of his rage, and warned him that he must mend his ways or quit the
country.

And now they had all been driven away, and that girl had stood and
spoken as if she had some right to be there, and had been indignant at
any inquiry into her motives for coming to Roaring River. Worse than
all Pat Kilrea and his wife seemed to have turned against her, after
absolving the two of blame.

She shrank back, drawing her fur cap further down over her eyes and
ears. Now the cold seemed more bitter than she had ever felt it
before, in spite of the thermometer's rise, and the road was so long
and dreary that it seemed as if it never would end.

And Hugo Ennis was dying--and in her heart Sophy McGurn felt certain
that the girl had shot to kill, and was waiting there until he should
die. Perhaps she had rummaged about the place and found money or other
valuables, for Ennis always seemed to have some funds, though he spent
prudently and carefully, and never seemed to have d