the street below.

It came on her with a shock, thrilling, terrible, yet not altogether
unpleasant. She rose, her hands clenched at her sides and the great
blue eyes abnormally wide as they stared in the same direction as the
eyes of the two horses held. Yet for all her preparation she nearly
fainted and a blackness came across her mind when a voice sounded
directly behind her, a pleasantly modulated voice: "Look this way. I
am here, in front of the fire."

She turned about and the two horses, quivering, whirled toward that
sound.

She stepped back, back until the embers of the fire lay between her and
that side of the little clearing. In spite of herself the exclamation
escaped her.--"McGurk!"

The voice spoke again: "Do not be afraid. You are safe, absolutely."

"What are you?"

"Your friend."

"Is it you who followed me up the valley?"

"Yes."

"Come into the light. I must see you." A faint laughter reached her
from the dark.

"I cannot let you do that. If that had been possible I should have
come to you before."

"But I feel--I feel almost, as if you are a ghost and no man of flesh
and blood."

"It is better for you to feel that way about it," said the voice
solemnly, "than to know me."

"At least, tell me why you have followed me, why you have cared for me."

"You will hate me if I tell you, and fear me."

"No, whatever you are, trust me. Tell me at least what came to Dick
Wilbur?"

"That's easy enough. I met him at the river, a little by surprise, and
caught him before he could even shout. Then I took his guns and let
him go."

"But he didn't come back to me?"

"No. He knew that I would be there. I might have finished him without
giving him a chance to speak, girl, but I'd seen him with you and I was
curious. So I found out where you were going and why, and let Wilbur
go. I came back and looked at you and found you asleep."

She grew cold at the thought of him leaning over her.

"I watched you a long time, and I suppose I'll remember you always as I
saw you then. You were very beautiful with the shadow of the lashes
against your cheek--almost as beautiful as you are now as you stand
over there, fearing and loathing me. I dared not let you see me, but I
decided to take care of you--for a while."

"And now?"

"I have come to say farewell to you."

"Let me see you once before you go."

"No! You see, I fear you even more than you fear me."

"Then I'll follow you."