you?"

Even then he saw the sweet and tremulous play of her lips as they smiled
at him in the gloom, and heard the soft note in her voice that was
almost playfully chiding; and the glory of her love as she had proved it
to him there drew from him what he knew to be the truth.

"Yes--I am glad. It is strange that I should be so happy in a moment
like this. If they will give us a quarter of an hour--"

He led the way quickly to the square of light and was first to creep
forth into the thick mist. It was scarcely rain, yet he could feel the
wet particles of it, and through this saturated gloom whining bullets
cut like knives over his head. The blazing cabin illumined the open on
each side of Sokwenna's place, but deepened the shadows in the ravine,
and a few seconds later they stood hand in hand in the blanket of fog
that hid the coulee.

Suddenly the shots grew scattering above them, then ceased entirely.
This was not what Alan had hoped for. Graham's men, enraged and made
desperate by Rossland's death, would rush the cabin immediately.
Scarcely had the thought leaped into his mind when he heard swiftly
approaching shouts, the trampling of feet, and then the battering of
some heavy object at the barricaded door of Sokwenna's cabin. In another
minute or two their escape would be discovered and a horde of men would
pour down into the ravine.

Mary tugged at his hand. "Let us hurry," she pleaded.

What happened then seemed madness to the girl, for Alan turned and with
her hand held tightly in his started up the side of the ravine,
apparently in the face of their enemies. Her heart throbbed with sudden
fear when their course came almost within the circle of light made by
the burning cabin. Like shadows they sped into the deeper shelter of the
corral buildings, and not until they paused there did she understand the
significance of the hazardous chance they had taken. Already Graham's
men were pouring into the ravine.

"They won't suspect we've doubled on them until it is too late," said
Alan exultantly. "We'll make for the kloof. Stampede and the herdsmen
should arrive within a few hours, and when that happens--"

A stifled moan interrupted him. Half a dozen paces away a crumpled
figure lay huddled against one of the corral gates.

"He is hurt," whispered Mary, after a moment of silence.

"I hope so," replied Alan pitilessly. "It will be unfortunate for us if
he lives to tell his comrades we have passed this way."