the authority of her years and an almost maternal
anxiety endeavored to dissuade the invalid from going. "This is not my
house," she said, looking at her daughter, "but if it were I should
not hear of your leaving, not only to-night, but until you were out of
danger. Josephine! Kate! What are you thinking of to permit it? Well,
then I forbid it--there!"

Had they become suddenly insane, or were they bewitched by this morose
intruder and his insufferably familiar confidant? The man was wounded,
it was true; they might have to put him up in common humanity; but here
was her austere mother, who wouldn't come in the room when Whisky Dick
called on business, actually pressing both of the invalid's hands,
while her sister, who never extended a finger to the ordinary visiting
humanity of the neighborhood, looked on with evident complacency.

The wounded man suddenly raised Mrs. Scott's hand to his lips, kissed
it gently, and, with his smile quite vanished, endeavored to rise to his
feet. "It's of no use--we must go. Give me your arm, Ned. Quick! Are the
horses there?"

"Dear me," said Mrs. Scott quickly. "I forgot to say the horse cannot be
found anywhere. Manuel must have taken him this morning to look up the
stock. But he will be back to-night certainly, and if to-morrow--"

The wounded man sank back to a sitting position. "Is Manuel your man?"
he asked grimly.

"Yes."

The two men exchanged glances.

"Marked on his left cheek and drinks a good deal?"

"Yes," said Kate, finding her voice. "Why?"

The amused look came back to the man's eyes. "That kind of man isn't
safe to wait for. We must take our own horse, Ned. Are you ready?"

"Yes."

The wounded man again attempted to rise. He fell back, but this time
quite heavily. He had fainted.

Involuntarily and simultaneously the three women rushed to his side. "He
cannot go," said Kate suddenly.

"He will be better in a moment."

"But only for a moment. Will nothing induce you to change your mind?"

As if in reply a sudden gust of wind brought a volley of rain against
the window.

"THAT will," said the stranger bitterly.

"The rain?"

"A mile from here it is SNOW; and before we could reach the Summit with
these horses the road would be impassable."

He made a slight gesture to himself, as if accepting an inevitable
defeat, and turned to his companion, who was slowly reviving under the
active ministration of the two women. The wounded man looked around wi