e Doane. He
makes her say whatever he wants.'"

"It is the truth I am crazy 'bout you," said Nesis.

Ambrose sighed. "Listen to me. I tell you straight, if you go with me
it will ruin me. I am as good as a jailbird already."

She gave her head an impatient shake. "I not understand," she said
sadly. "You say it. I guess it is truth."

There was a silence. Nesis's childlike brows were bent into a frown.
She glanced into his face to see if there was any reprieve from the
hard sentence. Finally she said very low:

"Angleysman, you got go to jail if you tak' me?"

"Sure as fate!" he said sadly.

She got up very slowly. "I guess I ver' foolish," she murmured. She
waited, obviously to give him a chance to speak. He was mum.

"I go back now," she whispered heart-brokenly, and turned toward her
canoe.

With her hand on the prow she waited again, not looking at him, hoping
against hope. There was something crushed and palpitating in her
aspect like a wounded bird. Ambrose felt like a monster of cruelty.

Suddenly a fresh fear attacked him. "Nesis," he asked, "how will you
explain being away overnight? They will connect it with my escape.
What will they do to you?"

She turned her head, showing him a painful little smile. "You not
think of that before," she murmured. "I not care what they do by me.
You not love me."

He strode to her and clapped a rough hand on her shoulder. "Here, I
couldn't have them hurt you!" he cried harshly. "You baby! You come
with me. I'm in as bad as I can be already. A little more or less
won't make any difference. I'll chance it, anyway. You come with me!"

"Oh, my Angleysman!" she breathed, and sank a little limp heap at his
feet.

Ambrose blew up the forgotten fire and made tea. Nesis quickly
revived. Having made up his mind to take her, he put the best possible
face on it.

There were to be no more reproaches. Her pitiful anxiety not to anger
him again made him wince. Her eyes never left his face. If he so much
as frowned at an uncomfortable thought they became tragic.

"Look here, I'm not a brute!" he cried, exasperated.

Nesis looked foolish, and quickly turned her head away.

Over their tea and bannock they became almost cheerful. Motion had
made them both hungry.

Ambrose glanced at their slender store. "We'll never hang out to the
lake at this rate," he said laughing.

"I set rabbit snare when we sleep," Nesis said quickly. "I catch fish