seen Jesse's
hoss."

Kells let out a strange, exultant cry. The excited talk among the men
gave place, to a subdued murmur, then subsided. Blicky was running a
horse up the road, hanging low over him, like an Indian. He clattered to
the bench, scattered the men in all directions. The fiery horse plunged
and pounded. Blicky was gray of face and wild of aspect.

"Jesse's come!" he yelled, hoarsely, at Kells. "He jest fell off his
hoss--all in! He wants you--an' all the gang! He's seen a million
dollars in gold-dust!"

Absolute silence ensued after that last swift and startling speech. It
broke to a commingling of yells and shouts. Blicky wheeled his horse and
Kells started on a run. And there was a stampede and rush after him.

Joan grasped her opportunity. She had seen all this excitement, but she
had not lost sight of Cleve. He got up from a log and started after the
others. Joan flew to him, grasped him, startled him with the suddenness
of her onslaught. But her tongue seemed cloven to the roof of her mouth,
her lips weak and mute. Twice she strove to speak.

"Meet me--there!--among the pines--right away!" she whispered, with
breathless earnestness. "It's life--or death--for me!"

As she released his arm he snatched at her mask. But she eluded him.

"Who ARE you?" he flashed.

Kells and his men were piling into the willows, leaping the brook,
hurrying on. They had no thought but to get to Jesse Smith to hear of
the gold strike. That news to them was as finding gold in the earth was
to honest miners.

"Come!" cried Joan. She hurried away toward the corner of the cabin,
then halted to see if he was following. He was, indeed. She ran round
behind the cabin, out on the slope, halting at the first trees. Cleve
came striding after her. She ran on, beginning to pant and stumble. The
way he strode, the white grimness of him, frightened her. What would he,
do? Again she went on, but not running now. There were straggling pines
and spruces that soon hid the cabins. Beyond, a few rods, was a dense
clump of pines, and she made for that. As she reached it she turned
fearfully. Only Cleve was in sight. She uttered a sob of mingled relief,
joy, and thankfulness. She and Cleve had not been observed. They would
be out of sight in this little pine grove. At last! She could reveal
herself, tell him why she was there, that she loved him, that she was as
good as ever she had been. Why was she shaking like a leaf in the wind?
She