"Yes, I'll do it," she said at last, "if it kills poor Kitty."

A moment later Iredale returned with the mare. The girl waited not a
second. Her lover assisted her into the saddle reluctantly. He did not
approve this sudden activity on the part of the girl. When she had
settled herself she bent down, and their lips met in one long,
passionate kiss.

"Good-bye, George."

The man waved his adieu. His heart was too full to speak. She swung
her mare round and galloped down the valley to the north. Her object
was to clear the valley and then turn off to the west on the almost
disused trail to Damside.

Iredale looked after her until the sound of the mare's hoofs died away
in the distance. He was filled with wonder at her strange request and
her hurried departure. But his speculations brought him to no definite
conclusions, and he turned abruptly and called to his man, Chintz.

The man hurried from the stable.

"We have been a little delayed. Is everything ready?" Iredale looked
up at the sky, then down at the grizzled face before him.

Chintz nodded.

"Good. Then get to work. Start the first fire directly beyond the
graveyard to the east. The wind is getting up steadily. You are sure
there are no farms to the west of us, between here and Rosy River?"

The man gave a negative shake of the head.

"That's all right then. There will be no damage done. And the river
will cut the fire off. This time to-morrow we shall be homeless
wanderers, Chintz--you and I." And the smuggler laughed bitterly.

Then his laugh died out.

"Well, to work. Set the fires going."

CHAPTER XVIII

THE FOREST DEMON PURSUES

Prudence swung her mare out on to the overgrown trail to Damside City.
Kitty was a trim-built little "broncho," compact, well-ribbed, and
with powerful shoulders and chest. She was just the animal to "stay"
and travel fast. The road cut through the heart of the Owl Hoot bush,
and ran in a diagonal direction, south-west towards the border. Then
it converged with the border trail which skirted the great southern
muskeg, and, passing through a broken, stony country, went on to
Damside.

The wind was rapidly freshening, and the scudding clouds were quickly
changing from white to grey, which, to the girl's practised mind,
indicated an immediate change of weather. But she thought little of
the matter beyond being thankful that the wind was well behind her,
she wished to travel fast, and a "fair" wind is as nec