gravely.

"Yes, yes," she said quickly, still grasping both his hands, but with
her head slightly turned in the direction of the mill.

"But who told ye where to find the mill?" he said, with gentle patience.

"A friend," she said hurriedly. "Perhaps," she added, with a singular
smile, "a friend of the friend who told you."

"I see," said Collinson, with a relieved face and a broadening smile,
"it's a sort of fairy story. I'll bet, now, it was that old Barker
woman that Chivers knows."

Her teeth gleamed rigidly together in the moonlight, like a
death's-head. "Yes," she said dryly, "it was that old Barker woman.
Say, Seth," she continued, moistening her lips slowly, "you're guarding
this place alone?"

"Thar's another feller up the trail,--a sentry,--but don't you be
afeard, he can't hear us, Sade."

"On this side of the mill?"

"Yes! Why, Lord love ye, Sadie! t'other side o' the mill it drops down
straight to the valley; nobody comes yer that way but poor low-down
emigrants. And it's miles round to come by the valley from the summit."

"You didn't hear your friend Chivers say that the sheriff was out with
his posse to-night hunting them?"

"No. Did you?"

"I think I heard something of that kind at Skinner's, but it may have
been only a warning to me, traveling alone."

"Thet's so," said Collinson, with a tender solicitude, "but none o'
these yer road-agents would have teched a woman. And this yer Chivers
ain't the man to insult one, either."

"No," she said, with a return of her hysteric laugh. But it was
overlooked by Collinson, who was taking his gun from beside the tree
where he had placed it, "Where are you going?" she said suddenly.

"I reckon them fellers ought to be warned o' what you heard. I'll be
back in a minit."

"And you're going to leave me now--when--when we've only just met after
these years," she said, with a faint attempt at a smile, which,
however, did not reach the cold glitter of her eyes.

"Just for a little, honey. Besides, don't you see, I've got to get
excused; for we'll have to go off to Skinner's or somewhere, Sadie, for
we can't stay in thar along o' them."

"So you and your wife are turned out of your home to please Chivers,"
she said, still smiling.

"That's whar you slip up, Sadie," said Collinson, with a troubled face;
"for he's that kind of a man thet if I jest as much as hinted you was
here, he'd turn 'em all out o' the house for a lady. Thet's why I