oughtfully. "But--he saved my life a little
while ago."

"Oh!" said the other, awestruck. "My! And ain't he handsome? How did he do
it?"

But the girl could not talk about it. She shuddered.

"It was a dreadful snake," she said, "and I was--I didn't see it. It was
awful! I can't tell you about it."

"My!" said the girl. "How terrible!"

The people were passing out now. The man was talking with the missionary,
asking the road to somewhere. The girl suddenly realized that this hour of
preciousness was over, and life was to be faced again. Those men, those
terrible men! She had recognized the others as having been among her
brother's funeral train. Where were they, and why had they gone that way?
Were they on her track? Had they any clue to her whereabouts? Would they
turn back pretty soon, and catch her when the people were gone home?

It appeared that the nearest town was Malta, sixteen miles away, down in
the direction where the party of men had passed. There were only four
houses near the schoolhouse, and they were scattered in different
directions along the stream in the valley. The two stood still near the
door after the congregation had scattered. The girl suddenly shivered. As
she looked down the road, she seemed again to see the coarse face of the
man she feared, and to hear his loud laughter and oaths. What if he should
come back again? "I cannot go that way!" she said, pointing down the trail
toward Malta. "I would rather die with wild beasts."

"No!" said the man with decision. "On no account can we go that way. Was
that the man you ran away from?"

"Yes." She looked up at him, her eyes filled with wonder over the way in
which he had coupled his lot with hers.

"Poor little girl!" he said with deep feeling. "You would be better off
with the beasts. Come, let us hurry away from here!"

They turned sharply away from the trail, and followed down behind a family
who were almost out of sight around the hill. There would be a chance of
getting some provisions, the man thought. The girl thought of nothing
except to get away. They rode hard, and soon came within hailing-distance
of the people ahead of them, and asked a few questions.

No, there were no houses to the north until you were over the Canadian
line, and the trail was hard to follow. Few people went that way. Most
went down to Malta. Why didn't they go to Malta? There was a road there,
and stores. It was by all means the best way. Yes, there was a