ery casually.

She had been silent, watching him.

"We were going shooting, but we've been waiting to see if the weather
would change."

"Then you haven't been out?"

"Only on the veranda for a minute."

"Let's take a brisk walk, then. It'll do you good--warm you up a
little."

"Yes," she said weakly.

She went to her room for her hat, and pinning it on before the mirror,
started at sight of her face, which had grown very white. She was
almost incapable of thought. The hatpin slipped from her cold fingers,
and fell to the floor. She stared at it strangely before stooping to
pick it up. How could she bear to hear what Smythe had come to tell
her! But it was good of him to wait until he could tell her alone.

"Will you go too, Mrs. Huntington?" Smythe said, as Marion emerged
from her room.

Claire looked at Marion, and wondered at the whiteness of her face,
and the haunted look in her eyes. Nothing had been said, but she saw
there was something.

"No, thank you!" she said promptly. "The house suits me this
morning."

Smythe and Marion walked up the hill toward the tree where Marion had
practised shooting. Until they reached it neither spoke.

"Well?" said Marion, turning suddenly on him.

"Sunnysides has got away."

"And he?" she cried.

"Thrown, but not hurt."

She stared at him a moment, dazed. Then she threw back her head, and
clasped her hands on her breast.

"Oh!" she murmured. "But how you frightened me!"

Smythe looked at her silently; and presently, when she lowered her
eyes, she saw that his face was very grave. But Haig was unhurt, and
Sunnysides had escaped. She had prayed for just that.

"What is it?" she cried, leaning forward to clutch his arm.

"He's following."

"Following?"

"Yes. Alone."

"Where?"

"Yonder."

He pointed to the west.

"To the San Luis?"

"Yes."

"The way they brought him here?"

"No. Sunnysides has taken the trail over Thunder Mountain."

Her hand fell from his arm. She swayed, as if she would collapse.
Smythe grabbed her, with an arm around her waist, and led her,
unresisting and dumb, to a near rock, where he seated her gently, and
stood watching her. He had been too abrupt, he thought; but how else
could he have told her?

She struggled bravely.

"Tell me!" she said at length.

He knew little about the event at the ranch. There had been a terrific
struggle; Haig had almost conquered; then the outlaw had flung him
over his head, trampled