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They traversed glade and park, and wended a crooked trail through the deepening forest, and cliround, while the sun sloped to the ard, lower and redder Sunset had gone, and twilight washis silence of the afternoon, ordered a halt

The place ild, dismal, a shallow vale between dark slopes of spruce Grass, fire-wood, and water were there in abundance All the irlher, ave hiloved hand

"Keep your paws to yourself," she said No evidence of exhaustion was there in her spirit

Wilson had observed this by-play, but Anson had not

"What coot caressed by the lady--as he was doin' the elegant," replied Moze, who stood nearest

"Jim, was you watchin'?" queried Anson His curiosity had held through the afternoon

"He tried to yank her off an' she biffed him," replied Wilson

"That Riggs is jest daffy or plain locoed," said Snake, in an aside to Moze

"Boss, you mean plain cussed Mark erin' correct"

"Hoodoo--" cursed Anson, under his breath

Many hands htly, water was boiling, pots were steairl had at last slipped off her saddle to the ground, where she sat while Riggs led the horse away She sat there apparently forgotten, a pathetic droop to her head

Wilson had taken an ax and was vigorously wielding it a the spruces One by one they fell with swish and soft crash Then the sliding ring of the ax told hoas slicing off the branches with long sweeps Presently he appeared in the se half-trimmed spruces behind hier under a huge burden of spruce boughs These he spread under a low, projecting branch of an aspen Then he leaned the bushy spruces slantingly against this branch on both sides, quickly i a V-shaped shelter with narrow aperture in front Next from one of the packs he took a blanket and threw that inside the shelter Then, touching the girl on the shoulder, he whispered: "When you're ready, slip in there An' don't lose no sleep by worryin', fer I'll be layin' right here"