his task ended--and behind him lay three that
would not soon be ready to fight again. Then, unlocking the door,
Halloway let himself out into the night.

He paused on the platform and drew a long breath and after that,
plunging his hands deep into his pockets, he strolled along whistling.
But when he had come to the edge of the town and the road toward
Wolf-Pen Gap, he broke into a run.

Alexander had stood waiting for a while at the edge of the rock,
wondering who these men might be who were approaching with such an
extremity of caution. Once more she was called on to endure the
heart-chill of suspense, but when finally two figures slipped through
the shaft-mouth with cocked rifles thrust out before them that tautness
of nerve eased into relaxation. One of them--palpably nervous--was
Will Brent. The other, with eyes agleam and an eagerness keyed for
battle, was Jerry O'Keefe.

Yet as both took in the narrow and seemingly deserted area between the
coal-seamed walls, their faces became heavy with disappointment. Other
men followed them until eight or ten had crowded into the cavern, and
very dejectedly Brent said, "We're too late. They've been here and
gone."

Alexander, peering silently over the top of her rock, missed the face
of Bud Sellers, the one man she had wholly trusted. She told herself
that to suspect Brent or O'Keefe was ungenerous, yet out of her recent
viscissitudes an exaggerated instinct of caution had been born, and she
waited to judge the complexion of affairs before she revealed herself.

Jerry's engaging face grew vengefully dark as he turned toward Brent
and spoke apprehensively.

"Ther place stinks with burnt gun-powder! Does ye reckon she showed
fight--and they hurt her? Afore God, men, ef thet's true, I aims ter
do some killin' my own self--I hain't nuver seed her but oncet--but I
aims ter wed with thet gal!"

Then with a laugh that pealed through the place and brought them all
around startled, Alexander emerged from her concealment.

"I almost feels sorry thet they didn't finish me--ef thet's ther fate
thet's in store fer me," she announced.

Her eyes squarely met those of Jerry O'Keefe, and he reddened
furiously, but at once Brent began asking and answering questions and
in that diversion of attention the young mountaineer found escape from
his discomfiture. The rescue party had encountered none of the men who
had so recently vacated the mine. Outside the woods were "mast