oards of the cabin door, which, finally,
was answered by the Girl herself.

XI.

"Hello!" sang out Johnson, genially, as he entered the Girl's cabin.

At once the Girl's audacity and spirit deserted her, and hanging her
head she answered meekly, bashfully:

"Hello!"

The man's eyes swept the Girl's figure; he looked puzzled, and asked:

"Are you--you going out?"

The Girl was plainly embarrassed; she stammered in reply:

"Yes--no--I don't know--Oh, come on in!"

"Thank you," said Johnson in his best manner, and put down his lantern
on the table. Turning now with a look of admiration in his eyes, at the
same time trying to embrace her, he went on: "Oh, Girl, I'm so glad you
let me come . . ."

His glance, his tone, his familiarity sent the colour flying to the
Girl's cheeks; she flared up instantly, her blue eyes snapping with
resentment:

"You stop where you are, Mr. Johnson."

"Ugh!" came from Wowkle, at that moment closing the door which Johnson
had left ajar.

At the sound of the woman's voice Johnson wheeled round quickly. And
then, to his great surprise, he saw that the Girl was not alone as he
had expected to find her.

"I beg your pardon; I did not see anyone when I came in," he said in
humble apology, his eyes the while upon Wowkle who, having blown out the
candle and removed the lantern from the table to the floor, was
directing her footsteps towards the cupboard, into which she presently
disappeared, closing the door behind her. "But seeing you standing
there," went on Johnson in explanation, "and looking into your lovely
eyes, well, the temptation to take you in my arms was so great that I,
well, I took--"

"You must be in the habit o' takin' things, Mr. Johnson," broke in the
Girl. "I seen you on the road to Monterey, goin' an' comin', an' passed
a few words with you; I seen you once since, but that don't give you no
excuse to begin this sort o' game." The Girl's tone was one of reproach
rather than of annoyance, and for the moment the young man was left with
a sense of having committed an indiscretion. Silently, sheepishly, he
moved away, while she quietly went over to the fire.

"Besides, you might have prospected a bit first anyway," presently she
went on, watching the tips of her slender white fingers held out
transparent towards the fire.

Just at that moment a log dropped, turning up its glowing underside.
Wheeling round with a smile, Johnson said:

"I see how wrong I w