all against it.

"But this is the twentieth century after all," he said; "and we're under
a civilized Government. They would never dare shoot me in cold blood!"

"Not kill you, perhaps," she said; "but bring you down, helpless!" Tears
threatened here; and Garth was silenced.

Opening the shutter in Natalie's room, they could still command a view
of the other camp. Grylls and Mabyn were visible; and at intervals the
two women appeared. Xavier was missing.

"He will be watching us," Natalie said.

As if to give point to her words, a rifle suddenly barked its hoarse
note, close outside. Garth sprang to the loophole in Natalie's room; and
was in time to see the poor, stupid, faithful old horse, tethered
outside, sink to his knees, and collapse on the grass.

He leaped up, turning an ominous, wrathful face.

"Oh! The damned cowards!" he muttered.

Natalie flew into the adjoining room, and flung herself in front of the
door. "You must not go out!" she cried. "What would I do, if you were
hurt?"

She was unanswerable, and he turned from the door, sickened with balked
wrath, and flung himself face down on his blankets until he could
command himself.

As if to give this act time to sink in, nothing further was undertaken
against Garth and Natalie all day; though they were undoubtedly under
surveillance, because the five were never about their own camp at the
same time. It was a bitter, hard day on the besieged; Garth, chafing
intolerably, paced the shack like a newly caged animal; and even Natalie
suffered from his temper.

At nightfall he eased his pent-up feelings by a cautious sally. He
filled all their vessels in the lake; and revisited his snares, which,
however, yielded nothing. They were too near camp. He saw no sign of any
adversary; but some of them came about later in the night like coyotes;
for in the morning Garth saw that the body of old Cy had been dragged
away--in the fear, perhaps, that his flesh might furnish them with food.

After breakfast Garth took his pipe to the window, and folding his arms
on the high sill, watched the movements in the camp across the little
bay. They were watching him too; he presently sensed a pair of
field-glasses in Grylls's hands. Garth laughed and obeying a sudden,
ironical impulse, waved his hand. Grylls abruptly lowered the glass and
walked away.

Garth was still smiling, when all at once, without warning, Rina came
around the corner of his shack and faced him poin