lank full height and held his own hand close against his side. "No," he
said, "I can't, I can't."

Layson was astonished. He peered at him. "Why, Joe!" said he; and then:
"See here--what have I ever done to you?"

Joe turned on him quickly. "Done?" he cried. "Maybe nothin', maybe
everythin'." He paused dramatically, unconscious of the fierce
intentness of his gaze, the lithe aggressiveness of his posture. "But I
warns you, now--you ain't our kind! Th' mountings ain't no place for
you. The sooner you gits out of 'em, the better it'll be fer you."

Layson stood dumbfounded for a moment. Then he would have said some
further word, but the mountaineer, his arm pressed tight against that
old game-sack, stalked down the trail. Suddenly Layson understood.

"Jealous, by Jove!" he said. "Jealous of little Madge!" Slowly he turned
about, puffing fiercely at his pipe, his thoughts a compound of hot
anger and compassion.

Madge, filled with dread of what her disgruntled mountain suitor might
be led to do by his black mood, had not yet re-crossed her draw-bridge,
but was standing by it, listening intently, when she heard Layson's
footsteps nearing. Her heart gave a great throb of real relief. She had
not exactly feared that trouble really would come between the men,
but--Lorey came of violent stock and his face had been dark and
threatening.

She saw Layson long before he knew that she was there.

"Oh," she cried, relieved, "that you?"

He hurried to her. "I thought you mountain people all went early to your
beds," said he, and laughed, "but I met Joe Lorey on the trail and here
you are, standing by your bridge, star-gazing."

Of course she would not tell him of her worries. She took the loophole
offered by his words and looked gravely up at the far, spangled sky.
"Yes," said she, "they're mighty pretty, ain't they?"

Layson was in abnormal mood. The prospect of his Aunt's arrival, the
certainty that something more than he had thought had come out of his
mountain sojourn, the fact that he was sure that he regretted Barbara
Holton's coming, old Neb's arrival, and his raking up of ancient scores
against the lowland maiden's father, his meeting with Joe Lorey and the
latter's treatment of him, had wrought him to a pitch of mild
excitement. The girl looked most alluring as she stood there in the
moonlight.

"My friends are in the valley and are coming up to-morrow," he said to
her. "Do you know that this may be the last ti