th a sigh. "It's the first thing you learn:
never to write when you feel that way. But it's mighty hard to resist
it!"

Rina understood little of all this. "You send answer back?" she asked.

"No. Tell him there's no answer," said Garth. "Tell him we nearly died
laughing," he added.

* * * * *

That night Garth determined not to leave the cabin until shortly before
dawn. He had seen Xavier leave the other camp before dark; and he
guessed the breed youth had been told off to watch them. From what he
had observed of the incontinuity of the breed mind in any given
direction, he strongly suspected if they kept still throughout the first
part of the night Xavier would fall asleep before morning. He had a
little plan in his mind, which he did not confide to Natalie. About
three o'clock, therefore, he called Natalie to bar the door after him;
and he sallied forth, concealing from her that he carried a coil of
light rope.

He was gone more than an hour, of which every minute was an age to poor
Natalie crouching over the fire and straining her ears. She had
successively pictured every possible accident that might have befallen
him, before her heart leaped at the sound of his signal at the door.

Garth was for sending her back to bed forthwith, but Natalie apprehended
he had not been gone so long for nothing; and presently she heard him
stand two guns in the corner.

"What have you got?" she asked eagerly.

"Oh, I just made a trade." Garth airily returned. "Thirty feet of
clothesline for a Winchester and a bag of cartridges. I threw in a
handkerchief to boot. Pretty good, eh?"

Natalie pulled him in by the fire, and made him light his pipe and tell
her what had happened.

"Well, I had a hunch Xavier was watching us to-night," he began. "I bore
a grudge against Xavier's pretty face, and I thought I'd have a little
fun with him, you see."

Natalie glanced up in alarm.

"A fellow would go mad, if he couldn't do _anything_," Garth apologized.
"I'll be good now for a week."

"Xavier?" said Natalie inquiringly.

"I wouldn't have minded a little bit, giving the brute his quietus,"
Garth said coolly. "He killed my horse. But he had no chance to put up a
fight; and I couldn't murder him; so at this present moment he's
unhurt--except his feelings. But Grylls will half kill him in the
morning!"

"What did you do to him?" she demanded.

"I was pretty sure he would be watching the path we h