Part 34 (2/2)
”I'm not worried about them, but I know they are worrying about us.
They'll surely start back this morning; but they may not be able to reach us till night.”
The light of the morning had turned gray and feeble. The air was still and the forest soundless, save now and then when a snow-laden branch creaked with its burden.
There was something majestic as well as menacing in this all-pervading solemn hush.
Peggy went about her duties as cheerfully as she could, but with a wider knowledge of mountaineering than Alice had. She was at heart quite terrified. ”We're going to miss our nice outlaw,” she remarked. ”He was so effective as a purveyor of wood.” Then she went to the door and looked out. ”That sheriff will never keep his trail,” she said.
”What's that?” suddenly asked Alice.
Both listened. ”I hear it!” whispered Peggy. ”It's a horse--there! Some one spoke.”
”It's Freeman!” Alice joyously called out. ”Coohoo!”
No one replied, and Peggy, rus.h.i.+ng to the door, met the young outlaw, who appeared on the threshold with stern, set face.
”Who's been here since I left? Your party?”
Peggy recoiled in surprise and alarm, and Alice cried out, ”Why did you come back?”
”Two men on horseback have been here since I left. Who were they?” His voice was full of haste.
”One of them said--he was the--the sheriff,” Alice replied, faintly.
He smiled then, a kind of terrifying humor in his eyes. ”Well, the chances are he knew. They took my trail, of course, and left in a hurry.
Expected to overhaul me on the summit. They've got their work cut out for 'em.”
”How did they miss you?” the girl asked, huskily.
”Well, you see, when I got up where I could view the sky I was dead sure we were in for a whooping big snow-storm, and I just couldn't leave you girls up here all alone, so I struck right down the canon in the bed of the creek--the short cut. I don't like to back-trail, anyway; it's a bad habit to get into. I like to leave as blind a trail as I can.” His face lighted up, grew boyish again. ”They're sure up against a cold proposition about now. They'll lose my track among the rocks, but they'll figure I've hustled right on over into Pine Creek, and if they don't freeze to death in the pa.s.s they'll come out at Glover's hay-meadow to-morrow night. How's the wood-pile holding out?”
”Please go!” cried Alice. ”Take your chance now and hurry away.”
”I'm not used to leaving women in such a fix. The moment I saw that the blizzard was beginning all over again I turned back.”
”You haven't had any breakfast?” said Peggy.
”Nothing to speak of,” he replied, dryly. ”I wasn't thinking of breakfast when I pulled out.”
”I'll get you some.”
Alice could not throw off the burden of his danger. ”What will you do when my people return?”
”I don't know--trust to luck.”
”You are very foolish. They are certain to come to-day.”
”They won't know who I am if you women don't give me away.”
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