his own share down to the last shred
of meat. She drank a cup of coffee, black, and returned the cup to the
killer, who unconcernedly drank from it without any previous rinsing.
She ate bannock with her meat and secretly thought what an adventure it
would be if only it were not real,--if only she were not threatened
with a forced marriage to this man. The primitive camp appealed to
her; she who had prided herself upon being an outdoor girl saw how she
had always played at being primitive. This was real. She would have
loved it if only the man opposite were Lone, or Swan, or some one else
whom she knew and trusted.

She watched the firelight dancing on Al's sombre face, softening its
hardness, making it almost wistful when he gazed thoughtfully into the
coals. She thrilled when she saw how watchful he was, how he lifted
his head and listened to every little night sound. She was afraid of
him as she feared the lightning; she feared his pitiless attitude
toward human life. She would find some way to outwit him when it came
to the point of marrying him, she thought. She would escape him if she
could without too great a risk of being shot. She felt absolutely
certain that he would shoot her with as little compunction as he would
marry her by force,--and it seemed to Lorraine that he would not
greatly care which he did.

"I guess you're tired," Al said suddenly, rousing himself from deep
study and looking at her imperturbably. "I'll fix yuh so you can
sleep--and that's about all yuh can do."

He went over to his saddle, took the blanket and unfolded it until
Lorraine saw that it was a full-size bed blanket of heavy gray wool.
The man's ingenuity seemed endless. Without seeming to have any extra
luggage, he had nevertheless carried a very efficient camp outfit with
him. He took his hunting knife, went to the spruce grove and cut many
small, green branches, returning with all he could hold in his arms.
She watched him lay them tips up for a mattress, and was secretly glad
that she knew this much at least of camp comfort. He spread the
blanket over them and then, without a word, came over to her and untied
her feet.

"Go and lay down on the blanket," he commanded.

"I'll do nothing of the kind!" Lorraine set her mouth stubbornly.

"Well, then I'll have to lay you down," said Al, lifting her to her
feet. "If you get balky, I'm liable to get rough."

Lorraine drew away from him as far as she could and looke