was a girl--she was
squeamish. Thereupon he slipped purposely and made a heroic effort to
save himself. She clasped his neck convulsively with her free arm, and
as he recovered his balance her head bumped into his and her hair got
into his eyes. He laughed. This was great fun. But it could scarcely
have been the exertion that made his heart beat out of time. At last he
gained the opposite bank.

"You nearly fell with me," she said.

"Well, I'd have got wet, too," he replied, wondering if it were possible
to make her laugh or even smile. If he could do that to-day, even in the
smallest degree, he would be assured that happiness might come back to
her.

Soon they met Larry, who came stooping along, burdened with a deer
carcass on his shoulder. Relieving himself, he hailed them.

"How air you-all?" he drawled, addressing himself mostly to Allie.

"What's your name?" she asked.

"Allie, he's my friend and partner," replied Neale. "Larry King. But I
call him Red--for obvious reasons."

"Wal, Miss Allie, I reckon no tall kick would be a-comin' if you was to
call me Red," drawled Larry. "Or better--Reddy. No other lady ever had
thet honor."

Allie looked at him steadily, as if this was the first time she had seen
him, but she did not reply. And Larry, easily disconcerted, gathered up
his burden and turned toward camp.

"Wal, I'm shore wishin' you-all good luck," he called, significantly.

Neale shot a quick glance at Allie to see if the cowboy's good-humored
double meaning had occurred to her. But apparently she had not heard.
She seemed to be tiring. Her lips were parted and she panted.

"Are you tired? Shall we go back?" he asked.

"No--I like it," she returned, slowly, as if the thought were strange to
her.

They fished on, and presently came to a wide, shallow place with smooth
rock bottom, where the trail crossed. Neale waded across alone. And he
judged that the water in the middle might come up to Allie's knees.

"Come on," he called.

Allie hesitated. She gathered up her faded skirt, slowly waded in and
halted, uncertain of her footing. She was not afraid, Neale decided, and
neither did she seem aware that her slender, shapely legs gleamed white
against the dark water.

"Won't you come and carry me?" she asked.

"Indeed I won't," replied Neale. "Carry a big girl like you!"

She took him seriously and moved a little farther. "My feet slip so,"
she said.

It became fascinating to watch her. The f