d his word, but the meaning of it was nothing to her.
She had not even thought of being left alone. It was not, then, fear for
herself, but for him. This girl, always slow of speech and action, now
seemed almost stupid. She put forth a hand that might have indicated the
groping of her mind. Suddenly she stepped swiftly to him, with a look
and touch that drove from him any doubt of her quick intelligence or
feeling.

"Oldring has men watch the herds--they would kill you. You must never go
again!"

When she had spoken, the strength and the blaze of her died, and she
swayed toward Venters.

"Bess, I'll not go again," he said, catching her.

She leaned against him, and her body was limp and vibrated to a long,
wavering tremble. Her face was upturned to his. Woman's face, woman's
eyes, woman's lips--all acutely and blindly and sweetly and terribly
truthful in their betrayal! But as her fear was instinctive, so was her
clinging to this one and only friend.

Venters gently put her from him and steadied her upon her feet; and all
the while his blood raced wild, and a thrilling tingle unsteadied his
nerve, and something--that he had seen and felt in her--that he could
not understand--seemed very close to him, warm and rich as a fragrant
breath, sweet as nothing had ever before been sweet to him.

With all his will Venters strove for calmness and thought and judgment
unbiased by pity, and reality unswayed by sentiment. Bess's eyes were
still fixed upon him with all her soul bright in that wistful light.
Swiftly, resolutely he put out of mind all of her life except what had
been spent with him. He scorned himself for the intelligence that made
him still doubt. He meant to judge her as she had judged him. He was
face to face with the inevitableness of life itself. He saw destiny in
the dark, straight path of her wonderful eyes. Here was the simplicity,
the sweetness of a girl contending with new and strange and enthralling
emotions here the living truth of innocence; here the blind terror of a
woman confronted with the thought of death to her savior and protector.
All this Venters saw, but, besides, there was in Bess's eyes a
slow-dawning consciousness that seemed about to break out in glorious
radiance.

"Bess, are you thinking?" he asked.

"Yes--oh yes!"

"Do you realize we are here alone--man and woman?"

"Yes."

"Have you thought that we may make our way out to civilization, or we
may have to stay here--alone--hi