fficacious.
Haig sat erect, and began hurling questions at the Indian.

"How did you get in here--in God's name?" was the first.

"Black Lake country."

"But how did you get in there?"

"Simpson's Pass."

Haig stared at him. He knew that to reach Simpson's Pass the Indian
must have gone far south below the canyon of the Big Bear, made a wide
detour over the lower range, and ascended to the Pass around the
shoulder of Big Bear Mountain. He had never heard of the Pass being
crossed in winter, and it was almost unbelievable.

"But the snow!" he exclaimed.

Pete pointed to the snowshoes.

"But the Pass doesn't let into the Black Lake country," said Haig.
"There's another range of mountains."

"Yes. I come over them."

"How long did it take you?"

"I been four weeks. But most of time looking in forest down there."

"But how did you find us?"

The Indian drew from his pocket a ragged and soiled piece of paper,
and spread it out on the floor. It was a crude map, with Paradise Park
outlined at one side, and at the other a labyrinth of lines and stars
and crosses. The stars were peaks, the crosses were foothills, and the
lines were creeks and valleys. Through the maze ran one heavier line
that indicated the trail through the Black Lake country up to the
cliff at the back of Thunder Mountain.

"Old Parker made it," said Pete.

"Tell me all!" commanded Haig. "But wait!" He pointed to Marion.

Marion's babbling had slowly subsided, and ceased. Pete rose and went
to her noiselessly on his moccasined feet; and after looking at her a
moment stepped cautiously back.

"She quiet now. Sleep soon," he said.

And it was so. The next time he slipped over to her, the girl's eyes
were closed, and soon she had sunk into a profound slumber from which
she did not awake until late the next morning.

Meanwhile Pete took up his story. Smythe had delivered Marion's
message, and had told them what he feared. Claire's knowledge of the
state of Marion's heart and mind enabled her to guess the worst, but
Seth scouted the idea of her trying to reach the top of Thunder
Mountain, or of Murray permitting her to try it. So two days were lost
before the alarm was sounded by Murray, who, after two attempts to
reach the top of the mountain, had given up and ridden to the Park for
help.

The whole valley responded to the call, and the most desperate efforts
were made to reach the plateau, but the storms that Haig and Marion
had heard