No one replied, and Peggy, rushing to the door, met the young outlaw,
who appeared on the threshold with stern, set face.

"Who's been here since I left? Your party?"

Peggy recoiled in surprise and alarm, and Alice cried out, "Why did you
come back?"

"Two men on horseback have been here since I left. Who were they?" His
voice was full of haste.

"One of them said--he was the--the sheriff," Alice replied, faintly.

He smiled then, a kind of terrifying humor in his eyes. "Well, the
chances are he knew. They took my trail, of course, and left in a hurry.
Expected to overhaul me on the summit. They've got their work cut out
for 'em."

"How did they miss you?" the girl asked, huskily.

"Well, you see, when I got up where I could view the sky I was dead sure
we were in for a whooping big snow-storm, and I just couldn't leave you
girls up here all alone, so I struck right down the canyon in the bed of
the creek--the short cut. I don't like to back-trail, anyway; it's a bad
habit to get into. I like to leave as blind a trail as I can." His face
lighted up, grew boyish again. "They're sure up against a cold
proposition about now. They'll lose my track among the rocks, but
they'll figure I've hustled right on over into Pine Creek, and if they
don't freeze to death in the pass they'll come out at Glover's
hay-meadow to-morrow night. How's the wood-pile holding out?"

"Please go!" cried Alice. "Take your chance now and hurry away."

"I'm not used to leaving women in such a fix. The moment I saw that the
blizzard was beginning all over again I turned back."

"You haven't had any breakfast?" said Peggy.

"Nothing to speak of," he replied, dryly. "I wasn't thinking of
breakfast when I pulled out."

"I'll get you some."

Alice could not throw off the burden of his danger. "What will you do
when my people return?"

"I don't know--trust to luck."

"You are very foolish. They are certain to come to-day."

"They won't know who I am if you women don't give me away."

"I'm sure Freeman--Professor Ward--will know you, for he also saw the
placard."

"That's no sign. Suppose he does--maybe he won't think it is his job to
interfere. Anyway"--here his voice became decisive--"I won't leave you
in such a fix as this." His eyes spoke to her of that which his tongue
could not utter. "I wanted an excuse to come back, anyway," he
concluded. "No matter what comes now, my job is here to protect you."

She did not rebuke him, a