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"I think not" Her tone was calm, almost indifferent, but her apprehensive eyes belied her voice "Dr Anstice, you have not forgotten your promise? Ifif it comes to the worst, you--you won't let me fall into--their hands?"

And then he knew that in spite of her endeavours to be brave, to face the ihout the long hours of their imprisonment--doubts as to whether death would indeed come to her with the merciful swiftness of a fanatic's bullet

And because he shared her doubt, because he, too, had wondered whether he alone would be shot at dahile she, his cohthastly fate, because of his wonder and his doubt Anstice rejoiced in the fact that he had it in his power to save her froiven his proiven it he would fulfil it, if the God who seemed to have deserted them in their need should see fit to nerve hi at hi of horror behind the wistfulness; and he could not bear to keep her waiting any longer for the assurance she craved

"Yes," he said gently, and there was a tender note in his voice "I will keep my word You shall not fall into their hands I prohed faintly, and h seat

"That is settled, then And now, just for this last half-hour, let us pretend that we are in no danger, that we are waiting for our friends, the friends we ran away from at the picnic--yesterday"

So in her oords startled her, and she broke off abruptly

"Well?" He sin?"

"Was it only yesterday?" Her accent thrilled hih "Did we really start out froay ere, weren't we--all the twenty of usyou and I leading because our horses were the best and I knew the way"

"Yes--and all the sers at ht

"Nonsense!" Hilda Ryder actually laughed, and in the dihter sounded almost uncanny "I'm sure no one was in the least envious! You see, ere new friends--and it is such a treat to meet someone new out here!"