But to his questions, Dallas, her reason tottering like
her steps, could only return others that were heartrending:

"He'll come back, won't he? They wouldn't kill him? Oh, you don't think
he's dead?"

"We'll find him," said the captain. He was pitiful in his regret. This
tragedy was striking home to him as even the Jamieson failure had not.
His long, sad face was more like a walrus' than ever.

"Mr. Bond said we'd have good luck here," she went on despairingly. "But
there _was_ danger by night, wasn't there? There _was_ danger!"

"She's knocked silly," Oliver murmured to the surgeon. "The child
doesn't know what she's saying."

"You're right. Clean blunted," was the answer. "But I'll straighten 'em
both out by noon."

A long halloo summoned the captain to the door. A group of men were
gathered in the swale between the shack and Shanty Town. Fraser was
among them. Oliver signalled, and the young officer wheeled and came
galloping in.

"What is it?"

"Old man's gun, discharged, out there in the grass----"

"Yes?"

"And two sets of footprints coming and going across that bit of low
ground. One set looks about two days old, and was made by boots. Other
is newer, and made by moccasins."

"Ah!"

"There's something strange about these last: Coming this way, the marks
are so light you can hardly see 'em; going back, they're sunk way down."

"Carried a load, eh?"

"It looks like it." Oliver mounted, and they rode off to the swale.

Noon was past when the captain called at the shack again. He found the
surgeon gone, but his promise fulfilled: Food and medicine had gone far
to revive his patients physically; tears had mercifully combined with
returning strength to right their minds.

This time, the elder girl met Oliver with no incoherence, but with brave
quiet. All her self-command had returned. She asked him in, and showed a
tender forethought for Marylyn by sending her out into the sunshine and
the garden before she listened to what he had to tell. When he was done,
she began her story with the finding of the pole.

"Redskins!" he exclaimed.

"Boot-marks were around it, though," she said.

"You are sure? I wish your father had asked my advice. I feel as if I
had come short in my duty."

"Please don't," she entreated. "You see, we thought we could tend to
it--long's we knew who it was."

He turned astonished eyes upon her. "Knew!" he exclaimed. "Well, for
Heaven's sake out with it, then!"

"Matthe