ated
you--"

"Pray do not mention it! It is a mere chance that I am able to help. I
shall be perfectly safe with this gentleman."

The mountaineer took off his hat.

"Thank ye, Miss," he said; and then to Chauvenet: "Get out!"

"Don't trouble about me in the least, Monsieur Chauvenet," and Shirley
affirmed the last word with a nod as Chauvenet jumped into his saddle and
rode off. When the swift gallop of his horse had carried him out of
sight and sound down the road, Shirley faced the mountaineer.

"What is your name?"

"Tom Selfridge."

"Whom did you take that man to be, Mr. Selfridge?" asked Shirley, and in
her eagerness she bent down above the mountaineer's bared tangle of tow.

"The name you called him ain't it. It's a queer name I never heerd tell
on befo'--it's--it's like the a'my--"

"Is it Armitage?" asked Shirley quickly.

"That's it, Miss! The postmaster over at Lamar told me to look out fer
'im. He's moved up hy'eh, and it ain't fer no good. The word's out that a
city man's lookin' for some_thing_ or some_body_ in these hills. And
the man's stayin'--"

"Where?"

"At the huntin' club where folks don't go no more. I ain't seen him, but
th' word's passed. He's a city man and a stranger, and got a little
fella' that's been a soldier into th' army stayin' with 'im. I thought
yo' furriner was him, Miss, honest to God I did."

The incident amused Shirley and she laughed aloud. She had undoubtedly
gained information that Chauvenet had gone forth to seek; she had--and
the thing was funny--served Chauvenet well in explaining away his
presence in the mountains and getting him out of the clutches of the
mountaineer, while at the same time she was learning for herself the fact
of Armitage's whereabouts and keeping it from Chauvenet. It was a curious
adventure, and she gave her hand smilingly to the mystified and still
doubting mountaineer.

"I give you my word of honor that neither man is a government officer and
neither one has the slightest interest in you--will you believe me?"

"I reckon I got to, Miss."

"Good; and now, Mr. Selfridge, it is growing dark and I want you to walk
down this trail with me until we come to the Storm Springs road."

"I'll do it gladly, Miss."

"Thank you; now let us be off."

She made him turn back when they reached a point from which they could
look upon the electric lights of the Springs colony, and where the big
hotel and its piazzas shone like a steamship at nigh