e.

Sam laughed with the others, and, retiring a little, watched how she
did it. The girl affected him differently from the rest. Diffidence
overcame him. He scarcely ever raised his eyes to her face.

All watched her delightedly, each man showing it according to his
nature. In every move she was as graceful as a kitten or a filly, or
anything young, natural, and unconscious of itself.

In a remarkably short space of time the three frying-pans were upended
before the fire, each with its loaf. No need to ask if it was going to
be good bread. It appeared that this wonderful girl had other
recommendations beside her beauty.

She rose, dusting her hands, and backed away from the fire, as if to
cool off. Before they realized what she was doing, she turned and
quietly walked out of the door, closing it after her.

They cried out in dismay, and of one accord sprang up and made for the
door. Sam involuntarily ran with the others, filled, like they were,
with disappointment. It was now pitch dark under the trees, and
straight from the fire as they were, they could not see a yard ahead.

They scattered, beating the woods, loudly calling her name and making
naive promises to the night, if she would only come back. They
collided with each other and, tripping over roots, measured their
lengths on the ground.

Curses began to be mixed with their dulcet invitations to the vanished
one to return. From the sounds, one would have been justified in
thinking a part of bedlam had been let loose in the pine-woods.

Sam was the first to take sober second thought. He began to retrace
his steps toward the cabin. Common sense told him she would never be
caught by that noisy crew unless she wished to be. In any case, the
bread might as well be saved.

In his heart he approved of her retreat. Trouble in the shack could
not long have been averted if she had stayed. Perhaps she had been
better aware of what was going on than she seemed. What a strange
visitation it had been altogether! How beautiful she was, and how
mysterious! Much too good for that lot. It pleased him to think that
she was honest. He had not known what to think before.

Thus ruminating he came to the cabin door, and was pulled up short on
the threshold by a fresh shock of astonishment. There she was,
kneeling on the hearth as before!

She glanced indifferently at him over her shoulder and went on with
her work. Such hardihood in face of all the noise outside did not s