am I--but I don't believe he'll come. It's 'most morning,
anyway--perhaps I'd better not disturb him."

"Take one of these quilts to him--that will help some."

Mrs. Adams lifted one of the coverlets and, stealing softly up, was
spreading it over the sleeper when he woke with a start, a wild glare of
alarm in his eyes.

"Oh, it's you!" he said in relief. Then he added, as he felt the extra
cover: "That's mighty white of you. Sure you don't need it?"

"We can spare it. But won't you come inside? I'm sorry we drove you out
of your cabin."

"That's all right. I'm used to this. Good night. I'm just about dead for
sleep."

Thus dismissed, Peggy went back and lay down beside Alice. "He says he's
quite comfortable," she remarked, "and I hope he is, but he doesn't look
it."

When she woke again it was broad daylight and Alice was turning
restlessly on her hard bed. In the blaze of the sun all the mystery of
the night vanished. The incident of the return of the ranger to his
cabin was as natural as the coming of dawn.

"He probably makes regular trips through here," said Mrs. Adams.

But the wounded girl silently differed, for she had read in the man's
eyes and voice a great deal more than belonged to the commonplace
character of a forest-ranger. That first vision of his face burned deep.

She had seen on the wall of the station at "the road" the description of
a train-robber which tallied closely with this man's general appearance,
and the conviction that she was living in the hidden hut of an outlaw
grew into a certainty. "I must not let him suspect my discovery," she
thought.

Mrs. Adams (who had not read the placard) treated the young fellow as if
he were one of the forest wardens, manifesting complete confidence in
him.

He deftly helped her about breakfast, and when she invited him into the
cabin he came readily, almost eagerly, but he approached Alice's bed
with a touch of hesitation, and his glance was softer and his voice
gentler as he said:

"Well, how do you stack up this morning?"

"Much better, thank you."

"Must have been a jolt--my coming in last night the way I did?"

"I guess the 'jolt' was mutual. You looked surprised."

He smiled again, a faint, swift half-smile. "Surprised! That's no name
for it. For a minute I thought I'd fallen clear through. I hope you
didn't get a back-set on account of it."

"Oh no, thank you."

"How many men are in your party?"

"Six, counting the guides."