e. The stars, glinting diamonds in
the blue-black vault over-head, twinkled and coruscated with brittle
fires. Now and then, a report like a rifle stabbed the stillness
when a tree cracked with its freezing sap... Donald sat down on
a log.

His mind was filled with bitter thoughts, and he remembered for
the first time that he was in reality nothing but an escaped
prisoner. But all that trouble could be attended to later. It had
sunk into insignificance beside the hideous verities that the day
had revealed.

Into his mind flashed a picture of Jean as he had seen her last.
The sweet, virginal face, the red-bronze aureole of her soft hair,
the gray wool dress with touches of red warming it at throat and
waist and wrist--all these were in the picture.

Would he ever see her again as she had been that bitter day? Would
there be something gone from that innocent face, some of its sweet
purity? Or would there be something added, a flicker of eternal
fear in the wide, blue eyes, or the stamp of hell across the fair
brow? The face merged slowly into a general indistinctness until
with a shock it all cleared away, and he felt a sharp pain in the
back of his neck.

Then he realized that sleep had stolen upon him and that his head
had rolled forward uncontrolled. With a curse, he sat up and looked
at his watch. Two hours yet before he could call Peter Rainy. He
put some more wood on the fire, but dared not look at the fascination
of the dancing flames. He felt a sort of resentment that these two
dirty Indians must be watched, and so break into his much needed
rest. He riveted his attention upon the stars, and began to name
over the constellations he could see. There was the Great Bear,
the trapper's timepiece in the wilderness; and there, almost directly
above him and very bright, the North Star, the hunter's compass.
Then, there was the Big Dipper, very high, and the Little Bear.
Southerly, through the trees, and looking like an arc-lamp suspended
there, Sirius gleamed, while very low and to the left was the belt
of Orion.

Suddenly, the entire solar system described violent circles of fire
before his eyes, and a dull shock seemed to shake him. He knew
something was wrong, and strove to gain his feet, or cry out, before
it was too late. But, in an instant, he realized that he was
powerless to move, and, in the next, the whirling constellations
gave place to utter, velvet blackness.

When he struggled back to consciousnes