Spain. "But that won't be thanking you as I am going to. If you think
you can save my life and refuse my thanks as I mean to express
them--you are mistaken. I will be perfectly honest. Lying out here
isn't just what I'd choose for comfort. But if by doing it I could see
you once in two or three days----"

"You won't see me again."

"No news could be worse. And if I can't, I don't know how I'm going to
get out at all. I've no horse--you know that. I can't stand on my foot
yet; if you had a light you might see for yourself. I think I showed
you my gun. If you could tell me where I am----"

He halted on the implied question. Nan took ample time to reply.

"Do you mean to tell me you don't know where you are?" she asked, and
there was a touch of vexed incredulity in her tone.

De Spain seemed unmoved by her scepticism. "I can't tell you anything
else," he said simply. "You couldn't have any idea I crawled up here
for the fun of it."

"I've been trying to think," she returned, and he perceived in the
hardness of her voice how at bay she felt in giving him the least bit
of information, "whether I ought to tell you anything at all----"

"I couldn't very decently take any unfair advantage after what you've
done, could I?"

"Then--you are in Morgan's Gap," she said swiftly, as if she wanted it
off her mind.

There was no movement of surprise, neither was there any answer. "I
supposed, when I found you here, you knew that," she added less
resolutely; the darkness and silence were plainly a strain.

"I know you are telling the truth," he responded at length. "But I can
hardly believe it. That's the reason, of course, you _did_ find me. I
rode a good many miles that night without knowing where I was or what
I was doing. I certainly never figured on winding up here. How could I
get in here without being stopped?"

"Everybody inside the Gap was outside hunting for you, I suppose."

"There isn't much use asking where I am, in the Gap. I never was
inside but once. I shouldn't know if you did tell me."

"You are at the foot of Music Mountain, about a mile from where I
live."

"You must have thought I meant to raid your house. I didn't. I was
hit. I got mixed up in trying to get away. You want me out of here?"

"Very much."

"No more than I want to get out. Perhaps by to-morrow I could walk a
few miles. I should have to assassinate somebody to get some
ammunition."

"It wouldn't be hard for you to do that, I presu