her revelation seemed as inconsistent with his previous
impression of her reserve and independence as her girlish reasoning and
manner was now delightfully at variance with her tallness, her aquiline
nose, and her erect figure. Mr. Boyle, like most short men, was apt to
overestimate the qualities of size.

They walked on for some moments in silence. The ascent was comparatively
easy but devious, and Boyle could see that this new detour would take
them still some time to reach the summit. Miss Cantire at last voiced
the thought in his own mind. "I wonder what induced them to turn off
here? and if you hadn't been so clever as to discover their tracks, how
could we have found them? But," she added, with feminine logic, "that,
of course, is why they fired those shots."

Boyle remembered, however, that the shots came from another direction,
but did not correct her conclusion. Nevertheless he said lightly:
"Perhaps even Foster might have had an Indian scare."

"He ought to know 'friendlies' or 'government reservation men' better by
this time," said Miss Cantire; "however, there is something in that. Do
you know," she added with a laugh, "though I haven't your keen eyes
I'm gifted with a keen scent, and once or twice I've thought I SMELT
Indians--that peculiar odor of their camps, which is unlike anything
else, and which one detects even in their ponies. I used to notice it
when I rode one; no amount of grooming could take it away."

"I don't suppose that the intensity or degree of this odor would give
you any idea of the hostile or friendly feelings of the Indians towards
you?" asked Boyle grimly.

Although the remark was consistent with Boyle's objectionable reputation
as a humorist, Miss Cantire deigned to receive it with a smile, at which
Boyle, who was a little relieved by their security so far, and their
nearness to their journey's end, developed further ingenious trifling
until, at the end of an hour, they stood upon the plain again.

There was no sign of the coach, but its fresh track was visible leading
along the bank of the ravine towards the intersection of the road they
should have come by, and to which the coach had indubitably returned.
Mr. Boyle drew a long breath. They were comparatively safe from any
invisible attack now. At the end of ten minutes Miss Cantire, from her
superior height, detected the top of the missing vehicle appearing above
the stunted bushes at the junction of the highway.

"Would yo