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"Kut-le! What happened to you? We were so worried!"

There was a bloody rag tied just below the young Indian's knee He paused, supporting hiard with pain, flashed a look of joy that Rhoda, eying the bandage, did not see

"I was late starting back," he said briefly "In the darkness a bit of the trail gave way, droppedtime and lost a lot of blood, so it has takenAlchise to help one to look for you Lean on me," said Rhoda si ed ht a s hireater would he now have availed himself of help from Alchise

"If you will let me put my arm across your shoulder we can h his heart were not leaping

Rhoda's squaring of her slender shoulders was distractingly boyish Utterly heedless of the pain which each step cost hi back the flustered squaws and leaning on Rhoda only enough to feel the tender girlish shoulders beneath the worn blue blouse

In the camp, Rhoda assu her in silent content She put one of Alchise's two calico shirts on to boil over the breakfast fire She washed out the nasty cut and bandaged it with strips froht Kut-le's breakfast and her own to his blanket side and coaxed the young reat indifference etic and efficient that the sun was just cli from behind the far peaks when Kut-le finished his bacon and coffee The girl stood looking at him, hands on hips, head on one side, with that look in her eyes of superiority, maternity and complacent tenderness which a woman can assume only when she has

"There!" she said with a sigh of satisfaction

"Rhoda," said Kut-le, hoping that the heavy thu of his heart did not shake his whole broad chest, "how long ago was it that you were a helpless, dying little girl without strength to cut up your own food? How long since you have served any one but yourself?"