. Page," she said quietly. "Now if you'll tell me where you're
hit . . . and if Mr. Norton will get me some sort of a light. A fire
will have to do. . . ."

Another little grunt came from Brocky Lane's tortured lips, this time a
wordless expression of his unmeasured amazement.

"I didn't want Patten in on this," Norton explained. "Miss Page is a
doctor; just got into San Juan to-day. She's a cousin of Engle. And
she knows her business a whole lot better than Patten does, besides."

"Will you get the fire started immediately, Mr. Norton?" asked Virginia
somewhat sharply. "Mr. Lane has waited long enough as it is."

"I'll be damned!" said Brocky Lane weakly. And then, more weakly
still, in a voice which broke despite a manful effort to make it both
steady and careless, "I never cuss like that unless I'm delerious,
anyhow I never cuss when there's a lady. . . ."

"If you'll keep perfectly still," Virginia admonished him quickly,
"I'll do all the talking that is necessary. Where is the wound?"

"You don't have to have a light, do you?" Brocky insisted on being
informed. "You see, we can't have it. Where'm I hurt, you want to
know? Mostly right here in my side."

Virginia's hands found the rude bandage, damp and sticky.

"It's nonsense about not having a light," she said, turning toward
Norton.

"No," said the wounded man. "Nonsense nothing, is it Rod? How're we
going to have a fire when my matches are all gone and Rod's
matches. . . ."

"Mr. Norton," Virginia cut in crisply, "in spite of your friend's talk
and in spite of the bluff he is putting up he is pretty badly hurt.
You give me some sort of a light, I don't care if they see it down at
San Juan, or you shoulder the responsibility. Which is it?"

Norton turned and was gone in the darkness; to Virginia's eyes it
seemed that he was swallowed up by the cliff's themselves, as though
they had opened and accepted him and closed after him. She supposed
that he had gone to seek what scanty dry fuel one might find here. But
in a moment he was back carrying a lighted lantern.

"Look here, Rod. . . ." expostulated Brocky.

"Shut up, Brocky," answered Norton quietly. And, passing the lantern
to the girl. "If you'll carry that I'll carry Brocky. It's only a few
steps and I won't hurt him. We can make him more comfortable there;
and besides, we can't leave him out here in the sun to-morrow."

Somewhat mystified, Virginia took the lantern and her o