man, who had lagged behind through
indifferent horseflesh and no fault of his own, was despatched to prepare
breakfast, and it was a merry party that assembled round the table. Even
the ruler of Carrington's grim face relaxed.

"I am glad to make the acquaintance of both of you," he said. "You will
make the best of Carrington I hope for a day or two."

We were nothing loth, for twenty miles of deepening snow lay between us
and our homestead, where we had little to do, while to complete my
satisfaction Grace and her train arrived in the Lone Hollow sleigh early
the next morning, and on hearing the story her eyes glistened as she
thanked me. "I am so glad I sent you," she said, "and I feel I owe my
father's safety, perhaps his life, to you. It is a debt I can never
repay."

It was late that afternoon when another sleigh drew up before the
Carrington gate, and three white-sheeted troopers lifted a heavy burden
out of it. The thing, which seemed a shapeless heap of snow and wrappings,
hung limply between them as they carried it into the hall, while it was
Sergeant Angus Macfarlane who explained their errand.

"Lay him down there gently, boys," he said. "No, stand back, Miss
Carrington, these kind o' sights are no for you. We found him in a coulee
after yon Blackfoot peddler had told us Stevens had fooled us, and ye'll
mind it's no that easy to fool the Northwest Police. He's one o' the gang,
but the poor soul's got several ribs broken, an' after lying out through
the blizzard I'm thinking he's near his end. It's a long ride to the
outpost, forbye we have no comforts. Maybe ye'll take him--ay, I ken he's
a robber, but ye cannot leave him to perish in the snow."

He flung back the wrappings, and before I could stop her Grace bent down
over the drawn white face with the red froth on the lips, while Ormond
said quietly:

"Very bad, poor devil! I fancied Robin's hoofs struck something that
yielded when he made a landing. You will take him in if it's only to
oblige me, sir."

Grace stood upright with tender compassion shining in her wet eyes as she
fixed them on the old man.

"I am a woman now, father," she said, "and I should like to help to cure
him if it can be done. We shall do everything possible for him, anyway.
Bring him forward, Sergeant Angus. Geoffrey, you know something of
surgery."

"I don't make war on dying men. You will do whatever pleases you, Grace,"
the ruler of Carrington answered, indifferently.