tection afforded by the stage he felt the full
sweep of the wind and permitted her head to rest lower on one arm so
that he could look about more clearly. She had not even moaned,
although he had felt her breath upon his face. Once he stumbled
slightly over some fallen earth, and farther along a foot slipped on a
treacherous stone, but the slight noise died unnoticed in the night.
It was farther to the gully than he had supposed; his heart was in his
throat fearing he had missed it, half-believing the depression failed
to extend to the base of the bluff. Then his foot, exploring blindly,
touched the edge of the bank. Carefully he laid his burden down,
placing his battered campaign hat beneath her head. He bent over her
again, assuring himself that she breathed regularly, and then crept
down alone into the shallow ravine.

His nerves were like steel now, his hand steady, his heart beating
without an accelerated throb. He knew the work, and rejoiced in it.
This was why he was a soldier. Silently, swiftly, he unbuckled his
belt, refastening it across the straps so as to hold canteen and
haversack noiseless, and then, revolver in hand, began creeping down
under cover of the low banks. He must explore the path first before
attempting to bear her along in his arms; must be sure the passage was
unguarded. After it swerved to the right there would be little danger,
but while it ran straight, some cautious savage might have chosen it to
skulk in. To deal with such he needed to be alone, and free.

He must have crawled thus for thirty yards, hands and knees aching
horribly, his eyes ever peering over the edge of the bank, his ears
tingling to the slightest noise. The tiny glow of the fire far away to
the left was alone visible in the intense blackness; the wind brought
to him no sound of movement. The stillness was profound, almost
uncanny; as he paused and listened he could distinguish the throb of
his heart. He was across the trail at last, for he had felt and traced
the ruts of wheels, and where the banks had been worked down almost to
a level with the prairie. He crossed this opening like a snake, and
then arose to his knees beyond, where the gully deepened. He remained
poised, motionless, scarcely daring to breathe. Surely that was
something else--that shapeless blotch of shadow, barely topping the
line of bank! Was it ten feet away? Or five? He could not tell. He
stared; there was no movement, and yet h