d require
prompting. "Who were they?"

"Some chaps from Coloma, packing off into the woods."

"Swen Brodie?" she demanded.

"Yes. Swen Brodie and half a dozen of his ilk."

"We will overtake them? Is that why you are in a hurry now?"

"No. We won't see anything of them. That's what I went to find out. We
are within a few hundred yards of the fork in the trail; they turned off
to the right, as I thought they would."

"You would like to follow after them?" She gathered that from a vague
something in his voice and from a look, not so vague, in his eyes. "If I
were not along you would go the way they have gone?"

"Yes," he admitted. "But you are along, you know! What is more,"--as he
realized that she might fear he resented her being with him,--"I am glad
that you are. And now shall we start? We've a long ride ahead of us
yet."

She followed him down through the alders; at the pool where she had
slipped before, and he had held her in his arms, she was very careful
not to slip now. Nor did they look at each other while she lightly
touched his hand and they crossed over. For an hour, until the
wilderness worked its green magic upon them again, they were a very
silent man and girl, he pondering on Brodie and his men pushing on into
the solitudes, she wondering many things about her companion--and about
herself.

_Chapter VIII_

Through the long shadows of evening they rode back to the log house.
While King unsaddled, Gloria stood watching him; her eyes shone softly
through the dusk.

"It has been a truly wonderful day," she said simply.

"It is you who have been wonderful," he answered stoutly. "I know you
are not used to long rides like ours to-day; I know you are tired out.
And you never gave a sign."

"The blood of my ancestors," she laughed happily.

In the house Gratton looked at them sharply and suspiciously; Archie and
Teddy saw only Gloria through sorrowful eyes. King, with a nod to the
various guests and a few words with Mrs. Gaynor, entirely given to warm
praise of her daughter, drew Ben aside for a discussion of conditions as
he had found them and left them to-day. He was dead sure that Brodie had
gone back to Honeycutt, had gotten what he wanted, and was off in a
bee-line to put to the proof the old man's tale.

Gloria was off to bed early, saying "good-night everybody" rather
absently. She climbed up the stairs wearily. When her mother slipped
away from the others, having started the vi