n--a no-man's land, impossible of
cultivation, it remained neglected and unused. At first he was sure of
this, his heart sinking at the deserted landscape. They must plunge
blindly forward in the dark over that rough, trackless country, seeking
some possible shelter beyond. Weakened and exhausted as they both were
the task seemed almost an impossible one. Then his eyes caught a thin
spiral of smoke rising from out a narrow valley almost directly beneath
where he stood, the depths of which were totally concealed from sight. As
he stared at this, uncertain of its reality, a single spark of light
winked out at him through the darkness. There was certainly a habitation
of some kind hidden away down there--a fisherman's hut likely--but it
would at least afford temporary shelter for the night; and there must be
a road or path of some kind leading from it to the nearest village. If
he could only leave Natalie there in safe hands, in the security of a
home, however humble, food would give him strength to push on alone. The
one thought in his mind now was to telegraph McAdams, so as to circumvent
the plans of those rascals in Chicago. This must be done, and it must be
done at the earliest moment possible. Perhaps the fisherman might possess
a horse, or would carry the necessary message into town himself. West
turned and hastened back through the woods, clambering down the slope of
the ridge in darkness to the spot where he had left the girl. For the
moment he could not distinguish her presence in the gloom, and, fearing
he might have gone astray, called her name aloud.

"Yes," she answered. "I am here; to your right. I am, standing up. Have
you discovered anything?"

"There is a house of some kind over yonder in a hollow just beyond the
ridge--more than likely a fisherman's hut, as there is a boat of some
kind beached in the cove the other side of this promontory. We will have
to stumble along through the dark. Do you think you can make it?"

"Of course, I can," and she placed her hand confidingly in his. "I am all
right now; really I am; I guess all I needed was to get my breath. Do we
go up here--the way you came back?"

"I presume so; I know no other passage, and found no path."

"But," she urged. "If there is a boat on the beach, isn't it likely there
would be a trail from there to this fisherman's hut?"

"Why, of course; it was stupid of me not to think of this before. The
sooner we start, the quicker we shall arrive.