ed to Inspector
Jules. A few minutes after, he was riding away toward Soldier's Knee,
with the Inspector and another private, to capture Val Galbraith, the
slayer of Snow Devil, while four other troopers also started off in
different directions.

IV

It was six o'clock when Jen drew rein in the yard at Galbraith's Place.
Through the dank humours of the darkest time of the night she had
watched the first grey streaks of dawn appear. She had caught her breath
with fear at the thought that, by some accident, she might not get back
before seven o'clock, the hour when her father rose. She trembled also
at the supposition of Sergeant Tom awaking and finding his papers gone.
But her fearfulness and excitement was not that of weakness, rather that
of a finely nervous nature, having strong elements of imagination, and,
therefore, great capacities for suffering as for joy; but yet elastic,
vigorous, and possessing unusual powers of endurance. Such natures
rebuild as fast as they are exhausted. In the devitalising time
preceding the dawn she had felt a sudden faintness come over her for a
moment; but her will surmounted it, and, when she saw the ruddy streaks
of pink and red glorify the horizon, she felt a sudden exaltation of
physical strength. She was a child of the light, she loved the warm
flame of the sun, the white gleam of the moon. Holding in her horse to
give him a five minutes' rest, she rose in her saddle and looked round.
She was alone in her circle of vision, she and her horse. The long
hillocks of prairie rolled away like the sea to the flushed morning,
and the far-off Cypress Hills broke the monotonous skyline of the south.
Already the air was dissipated of its choking weight, and the vast
solitude was filling with that sense of freedom which night seems to
shut in as with four walls, and day to widen gloriously. Tears sprang to
her eyes from a sudden rush of feeling; but her lips were smiling.
The world was so different from what it was yesterday. Something had
quickened her into a glowing life.

Then she urged the horse on, and never halted till she reached home. She
unsaddled the animal that had shared with her the hardship of the
long, hard ride, hobbled it, and entered the house quickly. No one was
stirring. Sergeant Tom was still asleep. This she saw, as she hurriedly
passed in and laid the cap and cloak where she had found them. Then,
once again, she touched the brow of the sleeper with her lips, and wen