y peril. Within the shelter of his arm he felt the yielding form
of the indomitable girl who, by the power of love, had wrung from the
outlaw his reluctant story--the story of the murder that had stained
with its red strands the relations of each of their lives to both the
others. He felt against his heart the faint trembling of her frail
body. So, when a boy, he had held in his hand a fluttering bird and
felt the whirring beat of its frightened heart against his strong,
cruel fingers.

A sudden aversion to more bloodshed, a sickening of vengeance, swept
over him as her heart mutely beat for mercy against his heart. She had
done more than any man could do. Now her. In the breathless embrace
that drew her closer she read her answer from him. She looked up into
his eyes and waited. "There's more than what's between you and me,
Duke, facing us now," said de Spain sternly, when he turned. "We've
got to get Nan out of this--even if we don't get out ourselves. Where
do you figure we are?" he cried.

"I figure we're two miles north of the lava beds, de Spain," shouted
Morgan.

De Spain shook his head in dissent. "Then where are we?" demanded the
older man rudely.

"I ought not to say, against you. But if I've got to guess, I say two
miles east. Either way, we must try for Sleepy Cat. Is your team all
right?"

"Team is all right. We tore a wheel near off getting out of the lava.
The wagon's done for."

De Spain threw the fur coat at him. "Put it on," he said. "We'll look
at the wheel."

They tried together to wrench it into shape, but worked without avail.
In the end they lashed it, put Nan on the Lady, and walked behind
while the team pushed into the pitiless wind. Morgan wanted to cut the
wagon away and take to the horses, but de Spain said, not till they
found a trail or the stage road.

So much snow had fallen that in spite of the blizzard, driving with
an unrelenting fury, the drifts were deepening, packing, and making
all effort increasingly difficult. It was well-nigh impossible to head
the horses into the storm, and de Spain looked with ever more anxious
eyes at Nan. After half an hour's superhuman struggle to regain a
trail that should restore their bearings, they halted, and de Spain,
riding up to the wagon, spoke to Morgan, who was driving: "How long is
this going to last?"

"All day and all night." Nan leaned closely over to hear the curt
question and answer. Neither man spoke again for a moment.

"We