ollowly from
the walls. They rounded curves, looking eagerly for some sign of
habitation, only to be met by the same stretch of deserted track
leading off into nebulous gloom. Or perhaps they would see a dim white
speck ahead or the black outlines of a rocky spur where the track
disappeared and they would comfort themselves with the thought that
around that particular curve or beyond that mile-post they would see
buildings. But when they had hobbled down the track and gained the
goal there were always more rocky spurs and more track to hobble over.

They talked of many things. Phil told her all about McCorquodale.
They discussed politics and the Rives case and newspaper work and
universities and music and the latest books. As the hours crept by
their laughter and talk lessened and the spaces of silence between them
grew longer. The girl was limping badly and leaning more heavily upon
him, and for him the adventure grew more serious in his concern for her
welfare.

"Aren't we nearly there, Mr. Kendrick?" she asked quietly after a long
period of silence on her part.

"We must be," he answered cheerfully and held his watch close to his
nose as he scrutinized the dial in the moonlight. "It's nearly four
o'clock. I fancy the moon is a little paler than it was," he added,
craning his neck to look at it riding high above them, "and the sky
back there behind that hill--it looks lighter, too, don't you think?
Daylight can't be far off now, as it comes pretty early up here and
we're bound to reach the Thorlakson shanty soon, Miss Lawson."

They trudged on again while he told her about Mrs. Thorlakson, the
good-hearted Icelandic woman, and the giant Swede section-hand,
Svenson, who was a friendly sort of elephant. He tried to entertain
her with a humorous account of his surveying experiences, information
about the country and funny stories that he had picked up here and
there. Occasionally they heard small animals scurrying away in the
underbrush on either side as they passed by; but she had ceased to take
notice of such sounds.

"I might carry you for a while, if you'd let me," he offered at last in
what he hoped was a matter-of-fact tone. But she would not hear of
that.

Dawn was coming quickly. The night gloom fled off the tops of the
ridges and sought brief respite in the shelter of the water bottoms.
The gray sky warmed to rose tints. New bird notes came twittering from
the bushes on all sides, while fris