l, and, crouching by the hearth, her head in her arms folded
upon a chair, she slept.

Outside the storm sobbed itself into silence; the rain dripped
complainingly from the roof of the porch and then ceased. At five o'clock
the new day, rosy and full of cheer, made itself felt in the dim room
where Priscilla, breathing evenly and softly, still slept. No gleam of
brightness made its way through the heavy shutters or curtains, but a
consciousness of day at last roused the sleeper. At first the experience
through which she had passed made no demand upon her. She got painfully
upon her feet and looked about. The fire was but embers, the air was hot
and stifling, and then, with the thought of opening a door or window, the
grim spectre of the black hours lay warning touch upon her. She shrank
back and began again to--wait! Of course McAlpin would return--and what
lay before her when he did? Her strength was spent, lack of food----And
here her eyes fell on the broken fragments of stale bread and meat that
Jerry-Jo had tossed aside.

She took the morsels and devoured them eagerly; the nerves of the stomach
were calling for nutrition, and even the coarse crumbs gave relief.

The moments passed slowly, but presently, with the knowledge that day lay
beyond her prison, she gained a new, a more desperate courage. If she
must die, she would die in the open, where she at least might test her
pitiful strength against Jerry-Jo's did he pursue her. The determination
to act gave relief. The dark, damp room she could no longer bear; the
lamp had hours before ceased to burn; the smell of stale oil smoke was
sickening. No matter what happened she felt she must make a break for
freedom. She knew full well that should Jerry-Jo enter now she could not
combat him.

Then, for the first time, she wondered why no one had come to seek her
through the long, black hours of the night. The men of Kenmore never
permitted a wanderer to remain unsought; there was danger. Why, even her
father could not be so--so hard as to sleep undisturbed while she was
unhoused! And her mother? Oh! surely her mother would have roused the
people! And Anton Farwell? Why, he would have started at once, as he
had for the McAdam boys. And with that conclusion came a new hope:

"If they are searching it will be on the water!"

Of course. Cheered by this thought, Priscilla made her way silently
toward the door. With trembling fingers she turned the key and pushed
gently ou