e forefinger of his left hand between his teeth and bit it.

Whatever he meant by the gesture it seemed unclean, horrible; and the
girl hurried on, seized with an overwhelming loathing through which a
sort of terror pulsated like evil premonition in a heavy and tortured
heart.

Straight into the fire of dawn she sped. A pale primrose light
glimmered through the woods; trees, bushes, undergrowth turned a dusky
purple. Already the few small clouds overhead were edged with fiery
rose.

Then, of a sudden, a shaft of flame played over the forest. The sun had
risen.

Hastening, she searched the soft path for any imprint of her father's
foot And even in the vain search she hoped to find him at home --
hurried on burdened with two rifles and a pack, still all nervous and
aquiver from her encounter with Quintana.

Surely, surely, she thought, if he had missed Quintana in Drowned Valley
he would not linger in that ghastly place; he'd come home, call in his
men, take counsel perhaps----

* * * * *

Mist over Star Pond was dissolving to a golden powder in the blinding
glory of the sun. The eastern window-panes in Clinch's Dump glittered
as though the rooms inside were all on fire.

Down through withered weeds and scrub she hurried, ran across the grass
to the kitchen door which swung ajar under its porch.

"Dad!" she called, "Dad!"

Only her own frightened voice echoed in the empty house. She climbed
the stairs to his room. The bed lay undisturbed as she had made it. He
was not in any of the rooms; there were no signs of him.

Slowly she descended to the kitchen. He was not there. The food she
had prepared for him had become cold on a chilled range.

For a long while she stood staring through the window at the sunlight
outside. Probably, since Quintana had eluded him, he'd come home for
something to eat. ... Surely, now that Quintana had escaped, Clinch
would come back for some breakfast.

Eve slipped the pack from her back and laid it on the kitchen table.
There was kindling in the wood-box. She shook down the cinders, laid a
fire, soaked it with kerosene, lighted it, filled the kettle with fresh
water.

In the pantry she cut some ham, and found eggs, condensed milk, butter,
bread, and an apple pie. After she had ground the coffee she placed all
these on a tray and carried them into the kitchen.

Now there was nothing more to do until her father came, and she sat down
by the kitchen table to wait.