rm; her hair kissed by the same dew
that cooled my face. I could not, of course, reach out my hand and touch
her, but the path led straight; and along this now my heart went
begging--impoverished rascal! He went on tiptoe, begging; while I
continued to watch for the elusive star, and my soul looked into the
level eyes of God.

CHAPTER XXI

PLANTING A MEMORY

A searching look next morning over the prairie revealed no sign of
enemies, or of Smilax. Somewhat thoughtful over his continued absence I
went to the kitchen and laid the fire, but did not light it because our
stock of buttonwood had become reduced to a few small sticks and scraps
that would scarcely more than cook one meal, and the use of other woods
might at this time be an unwise experiment. So with an eye to prudence I
withheld the match until Her Serene Highness should arrive.

When she did not come nor answer to my call, I set out to see what might
have detained her, conscious of a vague dread yet not seriously giving
in to it; but, after visiting the fort, this grew into an unreasoning
fear, and I began to run. It seemed so easy now to understand how some
of Efaw Kotee's henchmen could have discovered us, slipped up during the
night and overpowered her! What had been a remote possibility yesterday,
to-day grew into a certainty. With this obsession torturing me I dashed
across the Oasis, finally coming out of the forest at its extreme
eastern tip.

Then I saw her but a few yards away. Perhaps the brisk wind, rustling
the palms and prairie grass, drowned the noise of my impetuous rush, for
she did not turn.

Her face was toward the east, looking above an orange sun that still
clung to the horizon. Instinctively I felt that she was thinking of
Azuria, that the pictures of it which I had drawn were recrossing before
her dreamy vision, forming a panorama of splendor that called more
surely than in March the Canadian flats call the Southern water bird.
This gave her eyes, her uplifted face, her slightly parted lips, a new
glory, and I involuntarily exclaimed:

"Doloria of the Golden Dawn!"

She knew then that I was there and, without turning, reached back one
hand to me. Impulsively I took it, raised it to my lips, but afraid to
hold it longer I stepped aside as if awaiting her commands. When I had
done that she looked over her shoulder, gave a little sigh, and said
sweetly:

"Chancellor, I wish you'd convince me that our people are safe, and t