Rosalie observed the shifty, nervous
look in his eyes. From time to time he slyly appropriated certain
articles, dropping them into his coat pocket. His ear muffs, muffler,
gloves, matches, tobacco and many chunks of bread and bacon were stowed
stealthily in the pockets of his coat. At last it dawned upon her that
Bill was preparing to desert. Hope lay with him, then. If he could only
be induced to give her an equal chance to escape!

Mother and son became maudlin in their--not cups, but jug; but Davy had
the sense to imbibe more cautiously, a fact which seemed to annoy the
nervous Bill.

"I must have air--fresh air," suddenly moaned Rosalie from her corner,
the strain proving too great for her nerves. Bill strode over and looked
down upon the trembling form for a full minute. "Take me outside for
just a minute--just a minute, please. I am dying in here."

"Lemme take her out," cackled old Maude. "I'll give her all the air she
wants. Want so--some air myself. Lemme give her air, Bill. Have some air
on me, pardner. Lemme--"

"Shut up, Maude!" growled Bill, glancing uneasily about the cave. "I'll
take her up in the cabin fer a couple of minutes. There ain't no
danger."

Davy protested, but Bill carried his point, simply because he was sober
and knew his power over the half-stupefied pair. Davy let them out
through the trap, promising to wait below until they were ready to
return.

"Are you going away?" whispered Rosalie, as they passed out into the
cold, black night.

"Sh! Don't talk, damn you!" he hissed.

"Let me go too. I know the way home and you need have no fear of me. I
like you, but I hate the others. Please, please! For God's sake, let me
go! They can't catch me if I have a little start."

"I'd like to, but I--I dassent. Sam would hunt me down and kill me--he
would sure. I am goin' myself--I can't stand it no longer."

"Have pity! Don't leave me alone with them. Oh, God, if you--"

Moaning piteously, she pleaded with him; but he was obdurate, chiefly
through fear of the consequences. In his heart he might have been
willing to give her the chance, but his head saw the danger to itself
and it was firm.

"I'll tell you what I'll do," he whispered in the end. "I'll take you
back there and then I'll go and tell your friends where you are and how
to help you. Honest! Honest, I will. I know it's as broad as it is
long, but I'd rather do it that way. They'll be here in a couple of
hours and you'll be free