most oppressing effect on him whose thoughts
matched the compass, if not the penetration, of his vision. Another
hour he sat. Then he heard the great front door close with a jar. It was
the Colonel locking up the house. Shortly afterwards he heard Dale's
step, as the mountaineer went to his room. A sigh trembled between the
lonely watcher's lips, but he promptly arose and crossed the hall.

"How'd you get along today?" he asked, closing the door softly after
him. Not infrequently did they chat together at night.

"Fine," Dale cried, still excited by the labors he adored. "I'm readin'
about as fast as I can talk. It seems easy, now that I've got the
knack!"

Brent watched the light of ambition, of achievement, flicker across his
neighbor's face; he saw the purposeful chin, the knotted muscles in the
jaws, the fist, which in emphasis had just come down upon a table,
remain clenched as though it might never be off high tension.

"I'm glad to hear it," he said quietly. "But what have you in mind for
the future?"

"In mind? Everything! I'm getting my learning (I used to say larnin')
like a hungry old sow turned out on corn. Miss Jane says I'm doin'
better'n anyone she ever dreamed of; and when I finish, we're going back
in the mountains to bring our people out to light!"

"Yes, I've gathered something of that," Brent drily replied. "But, what
I mean is, what is your idea about Tusk?"

Dale started: "Good Lord," he slowly exclaimed, "I'd forgot about him!"

"It might be worth while remembering," the other suggested, "I've come
in to talk over plans for saving you."

"Savin' me! Me?" the mountaineer sprang to his feet in a burst of rage.
"Only you an' the Cunnel know I've done it, an' if you'll keep yoh
mouths shut there won't be any reason to save me, as you call it!"

"This isn't your country," Brent held his temper. "Men aren't shot
around here and carted off and buried without some sort of legal
investigation. If Tusk's body is found, and it will be found if he's
dead, someone's got to pay; someone must either stand trial or turn
fugitive."

"Great Gawd," Dale cried, slowly rocking his body from side to side.
"Great Gawd! Great Gawd!" he repeated over and over. There was a
flickering look about the eyes that made Brent catch his breath. It
seemed for just a passing second that they had been converted into
little balls of trembling red quicksilver; that was the only thing to
which he could liken those eyes jus