ter
the men and horses had started down the slope he turned to the outlaw
and said: "I'm mighty grateful to you, Mr. Smith. It must have surprised
you to find these women here."

The outlaw dryly replied, "It did!"

Alice added: "It was in the middle of the night, too; but Mr. Smith was
very nice about it. He slept outdoors without a word of complaint."

Ward had figured the situation to conclusion: "Smith is a poacher," and
though he had a savage dislike of these illicit game-slaughterers, he
could not but be glad of the presence of this particular outlaw, and
resolved to overlook his trade in gratitude for his cabin and service.

The outlaw helped Adams and Ward to clear away the snow for a tent, and
Alice, seeing the three men thus amicably joined in her defense, could
not find it in her heart to condemn one of them as a criminal. Here in
the white isolation of the peaks the question of crime and its
punishment became personal. To have this man's fate in her hand was like
grasping the executioner's sword for herself.

"If women had to punish criminals themselves, with their own hand," she
asked, "how many of them would do it?"

Peggy came in and whispered to her: "No one else seems to have
recognized him. He may get away safely. I hope he will. Shall we tell
the men who he is?"

"Yes, we shall have to do that soon, but I'm afraid they won't take the
sentimental view of him that we do. I tremble to think of what they will
do when they know."

Ward explained to Adams: "Our friend Smith here is a poacher--but as our
account stands I don't feel it my duty to report him, do you?"

"No; Peggy tells me he has acted like a gentleman all through."

In this spirit they made themselves comfortable for the night.

The sun set gloriously, but the air bit ever sharper, and while Peggy
went about her cooking, assisted by her husband and the outlaw, Alice
pulled Ward down to her bedside and hurriedly began:

"You remember that placard we read in the station--the one about the
train-robber?"

"Yes!"

"Well, this is the man--our Mr. Smith."

Ward looked at her a moment with reflective eyes, then exclaimed:
"You're right! I thought I'd seen him somewhere."

"And the sheriff is after him. He was here yesterday morning."

"Here?"

"Yes. You see, Mr. Smith stayed with us till he thought the storm was
over, then rode away, intending to cross the divide, but when the snow
began again he turned back. He said he couldn'