aid, "what should we do in the forest, if we went there
and joined your mother's tribe? We should starve, and grow sullen; and
you would be treated as a squaw, and our child would grow up an
Indian."

"But I should not mind that if only we were together."

"But we shall be together if my plan works out and I manage to escape.
Then there's Spurling; however much I hate him, I cannot break my
promise to him and leave him to die."

She dropped his hands and drew away from him. "You are going to meet
the white woman," she said; "you had planned to desert me whatever
happened."

"Who told you that?"

"Your lips told me, when you were sick and they moved of themselves."

"But I promise you now that, when I am safe, I will send you word so
that you can find me. If I ever did think of deserting you, it was
before I knew that we were going to have a child."

"You will not send for me," she said; "but I promise that I will do
nothing to you that will hinder you from going out."

"But what will you do when I am gone, and you yourself will be needing
help?"

"I shall go, like any other squaw, to the Indian women of my tribe."

There was nothing more to be said; she had given him what he had
asked. Bidding her good-night, he left the shack.

On returning to the Hall, he found Spurling very restless. "What have
you been doing all this time?" he asked. "I'd got a good mind to come
in search of you. I thought you must have struck the trail with your
squaw, leaving me behind."

Granger pretended not to notice his ill-nature, but told him what he
had arranged. They talked matters over and determined to make a start
on the following night. Neither of them were in proper condition to
travel, but they knew that they had no time to waste. Before they lay
down to sleep, Spurling altered his position, spreading his furs
between the stove and the entrance, with his head so near the
threshold that the door could not be opened wide enough to permit of
anyone passing out without his being wakened; Granger smiled grimly,
wondering how long it would take them to quarrel at that rate, when
one of them thought it necessary to take such precautions. Spurling
was soon snoring, but Granger could get no rest. The night was
bitterly cold, and the fire needed constant replenishing. It seemed to
him that no sooner had he piled on more wood, and wrapped himself in
his blankets, and laid himself down, than he would feel the
temperature lowering