ou're a stranger
here. Wait until we sing out to you."

"But if I prefer to take the same risks as you all?" said Hale stiffly.

"You kin," said Clinch grimly. "But I reckoned, as you wern't familiar
with this sort o' thing, you wouldn't keer, by any foolishness o' yours,
to stampede the rocks ahead of us, and break down the trail, or send
down an avalanche on top of us. But just ez you like."

"I will wait, then," said Hale hastily.

The rebuke, however, did him good service. It preoccupied his mind,
so that it remained unaffected by the dizzy depths, and enabled him
to abandon himself mechanically to the sagacity of his horse, who was
contented simply to follow the hoofprints of the preceding animal, and
in a few moments they reached the broader trail without a mishap. A
discussion regarding their future movements was already taking place.
The impossibility of regaining the station at the Summit was admitted;
the way down the mountain to the next settlement was still left to them,
or the adjacent woods, if they wished for an encampment. The ostler once
more assumed authority.

"'Skuse me, gentlemen, but them horses don't take no pasear down the
mountain to-night. The stage-road ain't a mile off, and I kalkilate to
wait here till the up stage comes. She's bound to stop on account of the
snow; and I've done my dooty when I hand the horses over to the driver."

"But if she hears of the block up yer, and waits at the lower station?"
said Rawlins.

"Then I've done my dooty all the same. 'Skuse me, gentlemen, but them ez
hez their own horses kin do ez they like."

As this clearly pointed to Hale, he briefly assured his companions that
he had no intention of deserting them. "If I cannot reach Eagle's Court,
I shall at least keep as near it as possible. I suppose any messenger
from my house to the Summit will learn where I am and why I am delayed?"

"Messenger from your house!" gasped Rawlins. "Are you crazy, stranger?
Only a bird would get outer Eagle's now; and it would hev to be an eagle
at that! Between your house and the Summit the snow must be ten feet by
this time, to say nothing of the drift in the pass."

Hale felt it was the truth. At any other time he would have worried over
this unexpected situation, and utter violation of all his traditions.
He was past that now, and even felt a certain relief. He knew his
family were safe; it was enough. That they were locked up securely,
and incapable of interfering