of his panting
horse. "I shall drop to sleep if we don't move on."

A thin blue smoke was rising from the chimney as they passed the
cabin, but Amalia, kneeling before the hearth, did not know they were
near. Harry wondered if Larry had forgotten the mother's hallucination
about her husband, yet forbore to mention it, thinking it best to get
him into his bunk first. But he had not forgotten. When Harry came
into the shed after stabling the horses, he found Larry sitting before
the chimney fire warming his knees and smoking.

"Give me a little more of that coffee, Harry, and let's talk a bit
before I turn in for the day. There's the mother, now; she still
thinks as she did? I'll not see them until this evening--when I may
feel able to meet the question, and, lad, tell them what you please,
but--better not let the mother know I'm here until I can see her."

"Then, if you'll go to bed now, I'll bring your food up. I'll tell
Amalia, of course."

"I'm not hungry--only weary. Don't bother the women about food. After
a day and night of sleep I'll be quite fit again. Man! But it's good
to be back into the peace of the hills! I've been down where the waves
of civilization roar. Yes, yes; I'll go to my bunk after a bit. The
great menace to our tranquillity here for the winter is the mother."

"But she has improved."

"Good, good. How?"

"She thinks of things around her--and--takes care of the cabin since
Amalia's hurt."

"Hurt? How's that?"

"She sprained her ankle--only, but enough to lay her up for a while."

"I see. Shook her mother out of her dreams."

"Not entirely. I think the improvement comes more from her firm
conviction that you are to bring her husband with you, and Amalia
agrees with me. If you have an excuse that will satisfy her--"

"I see. She was satisfied in her mind that he was alive and would come
to her--I see. Keep her quiet until I wake up and then we'll find a
way out--if the truth is impossible. Now I'll sleep--for a day and a
night and a day--as long as I've been on that forced march. It was to
go back, or try to push through--or die--and I pushed through."

"Don't sleep until I've brought you some hot broth. I'm sure they have
it down there."

"I'll be glad of it, yes."

But he could not keep awake. Before Harry could throw another log on
the fire he was asleep. Then Harry gently drew an army blanket over
him and went out to the stable. There he saddled his own horse and led
him towar