ere to the paper in his hand; to the tree,
and back again to her face.

"The man's tracks went back towards Taylor Rock," he drawled out half
apologetically. "That's what made me kinda think maybe--"

"Oh, you know that, too! You know how he said he was going up there
and see if he couldn't run across a bear before sundown, and for me to
go straight home. And I'll bet," she added breathlessly, "you can
tell me exactly where it was that Kate waited for me across the
gulley, and which ankle it was that she sprained so I had to almost
carry her back to the house, and--why, I wouldn't be one bit surprised
if you could tell me what I put on it!"

"No," Hank confessed feebly, "I guess I couldn't just figure all that
out, not offhand like."

"But you knew about Fred forgetting his cigarettes, and about my
bringing him some so he wouldn't be grouchy all the way home," Marion
reminded him demurely. "I--I do think you are the cleverest boy!"

That finished Hank. Never within his recollection had a young woman so
much as hinted that she thought him wonderful or clever. Besides, Hank
was well past thirty, and it tickles a man of that age to be called a
boy.

He began to leer at her with amorous eyes when he spoke, and he began
to find frequent occasions for taking hold of her arm. He managed to
make himself odious in the extreme, so that in sheer self-defense
Marion made haste to bring his thoughts back to Jack.

"Did you say that lookout man has a claim up here somewhere?" She
started back to the road, Hank keeping close to her heels.

"I dunno--I just said maybe he had. He's up here, I know that--an' you
know it, too." He took her arm to help her up the hill, and Marion
felt as though a toad was touching her; yet she dared not show too
plainly her repulsion for fear of stirring his anger. She had a
feeling that Hank's anger would be worse than his boorish gallantry.
"I figure he's on the dodge. Ain't no other reason why he ain't never
been to town sence I packed him up to the lookout station las' spring.
'F he had a claim he'd be goin' to town sometime, anyway. He'd go in
to record his claim, an' he ain't never done that. I'll bet," he
added, walking close alongside, "you could tell more'n you let on.
Couldn't you, ay?"

"I could, if I knew anything to tell." Marion tried to free her arm
without actually jerking it, and failed.

"But you don't, ay? Say, you're pretty cute. What'll yuh give me if I
tell yuh what I do