stant, and Talbot drew his pistol
from his belt and stood listening with it in his hand.

"I always said we oughtn't to keep our gold up here," said Stephen, and
his face whitened.

Talbot held up his hand to enjoin silence, and they waited while the
sound of hoofs moving slowly over the treacherous and uneven soil came
nearer. Then there was a pause, which seemed to the men inside endless.
Then two distinct taps at the door. Talbot, who was nearer it, made a
forward movement, but Stephen caught his arm.

"What are you going to do?" he whispered.

"Open it and fire," returned Talbot, laconically, and he pushed back the
latch and raised his revolver as he opened the door.

Stephen was close behind him, and Talbot almost stepped upon him as he
drew back with astonishment the next instant. Katrine jumped from the
pony's back and stepped over the threshold without invitation.

"How lucky I am to find you up!" she exclaimed, and then seeing Talbot's
hastily lowered revolver in his right hand she burst out laughing. "So
you were going to shoot, were you?" she said, drawing out her own.
"Well, I was quite ready; I have been all the ride. I am sorry I
frightened you."

"Frightened us!" repeated the two men in a breath, with an indignant
glance.

"Oh no, of course I didn't mean that," rejoined Katrine, laughing.
"Disturbed you, I should say. Oh, Stephen, give me some of that whisky;
I am almost dead with cold."

Her face did indeed look frozen white with cold under her fur cap, and
her dark eyes shone in it with a liquid splendour that made Stephen's
heart beat tumultuously against his side. He poured out some of the
spirit for her and pushed her gently into a chair, commencing to pull
off her thick gloves for her.

"I want Will Johnson," she said, with her customary directness.
"Stephen, I've come up to fetch him. He's one of your men. Tell me where
I can find him."

"What do you want with him at this time of night?" questioned Stephen,
while Talbot silently extracted a plate of bread and bacon from the
cupboard and put it on the table at her elbow.

"I don't want him for myself," she answered mischievously. "His wife has
sent me up to find him; she thinks she is dying, and wants to see him
to-night. Where can I find him?"

"His cabin is a little higher up the gulch, but you mustn't go there; I
will go after him," said Stephen hastily.

"I don't know," replied Katrine; "I'd better ride up there and then take