s.

Not a sound escaped either. The man kept his eyes fixed on the woman;
the woman scanned the dreadful pathway with eyes deep-set and burning,
resolute, vigilant, and yet defiant too, as though she had been trapped
into this track of danger, and was fighting without great hope, but
with the temerity and nonchalance of despair. Her arms were bare to the
shoulder almost, and her face was again and again drenched; but second
succeeded second, minute followed minute in a struggle which might well
turn a man's hair grey, and now, at last-how many hours was it since
they had been cast into this den of roaring waters!--at last, suddenly,
over a large fall, and here smooth waters again, smooth and untroubled,
and strong and deep. Then, and only then, did a word escape either;
but the man had passed through torture and unavailing regret, for he
realised that he had had no right to bring this girl into such a fight.
It was not her friend who was in danger at Bindon. Her life had been
risked without due warrant. "I didn't know, or I wouldn't have asked
it," he said in a low voice. "Lord, but you are a wonder--to take that
hurdle for no one that belonged to you, and to do it as you've done it.
This country will rise to you." He looked back on the raging rapids far
behind, and he shuddered. "It was a close call, and no mistake. We must
have been within a foot of down-you-go fifty times. But it's all right
now, if we can last it out and git there." Again he glanced back,
then turned to the girl. "It makes me pretty sick to look at it," he
continued. "I bin through a lot, but that's as sharp practice as I
want."

"Come here and let me bind up your arm," she answered. "They hit
you--the sneaks! Are you bleeding much?"

He came near her carefully, as she got the big canoe out of the current
into quieter water. She whipped the scarf from about her neck, and with
his knife ripped up the seam of his sleeve. Her face was alive with
the joy of conflict and elated with triumph. Her eyes were shining. She
bathed the wound--the bullet had passed clean through the fleshy part
of the arm--and then carefully tied the scarf round it over her
handkerchief.

"I guess it's as good as a man could do it," she said at last.

"As good as any doctor," he rejoined.

"I wasn't talking of your arm," she said.

"'Course not. Excuse me. You was talkin' of them rapids, and I've got to
say there ain't a man that could have done it and come through like