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risk to proclaim the falsehood。 Low turned his impassive；
truthful face towards her。
〃Sheriff Dunn；〃 he began gravely； 〃is a politician； and a fool
when he takes to the trail as a hunter of man or beast。 But he
is not a coward nor a liar。 Your chances would be better if he
wereif he laid your escape to an ambush of your friends； than
if his pride held you alone responsible。〃
〃If he's such a good man； why do you hesitate？〃 she replied
bitterly。 〃Why don't you give me up at once； and do a service to
one of your friends？〃
〃I do not even know him；〃 returned Low opening his clear eyes
upon her。 〃I've promised to hide you here； and I shall hide you
as well from him as from anybody。〃
Teresa did not reply； but suddenly dropping down upon the ground
buried her face in her hands and began to sob convulsively。 Low
turned impassively away； and putting aside the bark curtain
climbed into the hollow tree。 In a few moments he reappeared；
laden with provisions and a few simple cooking utensils； and
touched her lightly on the shoulder。 She looked up timidly； the
paroxysm had passed； but her lashes yet glittered。
〃Come；〃 he said； 〃come and get some breakfast。 I find you have
eaten nothing since you have been heretwenty…four hours。〃
〃I didn't know it；〃 she said； with a faint smile。 Then seeing
his burden； and possessed by a new and strange desire for some
menial employment； she said hurriedly； 〃Let me carry something
do； please；〃 and even tried to disencumber him。
Half annoyed； Low at last yielded； and handing his rifle said；
〃There； then； take that； but be carefulit's loaded！〃
A cruel blush burnt the woman's face to the roots of her hair as
she took the weapon hesitatingly in her hand。
〃No！〃 she stammered； hurriedly lifting her shame…suffused eyes to
his； 〃no！ no！〃
He turned away with an impatience which showed her how completely
gratuitous had been her agitation and its significance； and said；
〃Well； then； give it back if you are afraid of it。〃 But she as
suddenly declined to return it； and shouldering it deftly； took
her place by his side。 Silently they moved from the hollow tree
together。
During their walk she did not attempt to invade his taciturnity。
Nevertheless she was as keenly alive and watchful of his every
movement and gesture as if she had hung enchanted on his lips。
The unerring way with which he pursued a viewless； undeviating
path through those trackless woods； his quick reconnaissance of
certain trees or openings； his mute inspection of some almost
imperceptible footprint of bird or beast； his critical
examination of certain plants which he plucked and deposited in
his deerskin haversack； were not lost on the quick…witted woman。
As they gradually changed the clear； unencumbered aisles of the
central woods for a more tangled undergrowth； Teresa felt that
subtle admiration which culminates in imitation； and simulating
perfectly the step； tread； and easy swing of her companion；
followed so accurately his lead that she won a gratified
exclamation from him when their goal was reacheda broken；
blackened shaft； splintered by long…forgotten lightning； in the
centre of a tangled carpet of wood…clover。
〃I don't wonder you distanced the deputy；〃 he said cheerfully；
throwing down his burden； 〃if you can take the hunting…path like
that。 In a few days； if you stay here； I can venture to trust
you alone for a little pasear when you are tired of the tree。〃
Teresa looked pleased； but busied herself with arrangements for
the breakfast； while he gathered the fuel for the roaring fire
which soon blazed beside the shattered tree。
Teresa's breakfast was a success。 It was a revelation to the
young nomad； whose ascetic habits and simple tastes were usually
content with the most primitive forms of frontier cookery。 It
was at least a surprise to him to know that without extra trouble
kneaded flour； water； and saleratus need not be essentially
heavy； that coffee need not be boiled with sugar to the
consistency of syrup； that even that rarest delicacy； small
shreds of venison covered with ashes and broiled upon the end of
a ramrod boldly thrust into the flames； would be better and even
more expeditiously cooked upon burning coals。 Moved in his
practical nature； he was surprised to find this curious creature
of disorganized nerves and useless impulses informed with an
intelligence that did not preclude the welfare of humanity or the
existence of a soul。 He respected her for some minutes； until in
the midst of a culinary triumph a big tear dropped and spluttered
in the saucepan。 But he forgave the irrelevancy by taking no
notice of it； and by doing full justice to that particular dish。
Nevertheless； he asked several questions based upon these
recently discovered qualities。 It appeared that in the old days
of her wanderings with the circus troupe she had often been
forced to undertake this nomadic housekeeping。 But she 〃despised
it；〃 had never done it since； and always had refused to do it for
〃him〃the personal pronoun referring； as Low understood； to her
lover； Curson。 Not caring to revive these memories further； Low
briefly concluded： 〃I don't know what you were； or what you may
be； but from what I see of you you've got all the sabe of a
frontierman's wife。〃
She stopped and looked at him； and then with an impulse of
imprudence that only half concealed a more serious vanity； asked；
〃Do you think I might have made a good squaw？〃
〃I don't know；〃 he replied quietly。 〃I never saw enough of them
to know。〃
Teresa； confident from his clear eyes that he spoke the truth；
but having nothing ready to follow this calm disposal of her
curiosity； relapsed into silence。
The meal finished； Teresa washed their scant table equipage in a
little spring near the camp…fire； where； catching sight of her
disordered dress and collar； she rapidly threw her shawl； after
the national fashion； over her shoulder and pinned it quickly。
Low cached the remaining provisions and the few cooking utensils
under the dead embers and ashes； obliterating all superficial
indication of their camp…fire as deftly and artistically as he
had before。
〃There isn't the ghost of a chance；〃 he said in explanation；
〃that anybody but you or I will set foot here before we come back
to supper； but it's well to be on guard。 I'll take you back to
the cabin now； though I bet you could find your way there as well
as I can。〃
On their way back Teresa ran ahead of her companion； and plucking
a few tiny leaves from a hidden oasis in the bark…strewn trail
brought them to him。
〃That's the kind you're looking for； isn't it？〃 she said； half
timidly。
〃It is；〃 responded Low； in gratified surprise； 〃but how did you
know it？ You're not a botanist； are you？〃
〃I reckon not；〃 said Teresa； 〃but you picked some when we came；
and I noticed what they were。〃
Here was indeed another revelation。 Low stopped and gazed at her
with such frank； open； utterly unabashed curiosity that her black
eyes fell before him。
〃And do you think；〃 he asked with logical deliberation； 〃that you
could find any plant from another I should give you？〃
〃Yes。〃
〃Or from a drawing of it〃
〃Yes； perhaps even if you described it to me。〃
A half…confidential； half…fraternal silence followed。
〃I tell you what。 I've got a book〃
〃I know it；〃 interrupted Teresa； 〃full of these things。〃
〃Yes。 Do you think you could〃
〃Of course I could；〃 broke in Teresa； again。
〃But you don't know what I mean；〃 said the imperturbable Low。
〃Certainly I do。 Why； find 'em； and preserve all the different
ones for you to write underthat's it； isn't it？〃
Low nodded his head； gratified but not entirely convinced that
she had fully estimated the magnitude of the endeavor。
〃I suppose；〃 said Teresa； in the feminine postscriptum voice
which it would seem entered even the philosophical calm of the
aisles they were treading〃I suppose that SHE places great value
on them？〃
Low had indeed heard Science personified before； nor was it at
all impossible that the singular woman walking by his side had
also。 He said 〃Yes；〃 but added； in mental reference to the
Linnean Society of San Francisco； that 〃THEY were rather
particular about the rarer kinds。〃
Content as Teresa had been to believe in Low's tender relations
with some favored ONE of her sex； this frank confession of a
plural devotion staggered her。
〃They？〃 she repeated。
〃Yes；〃 he continued calmly。 〃The Botanical Society I correspond
with are more particular than the Government Survey。〃
〃Then you are doing this for a society？〃 demanded Teresa； with a
stare。
〃Certainly。 I'm making a collection and classification of
specimens。 I intendbut what are you looking at？〃
Teresa had suddenly turned away。 Putting his hand lightly on her
shoulder； the young man brought her face to face him again。
She was laughing。
〃I thought all the while it was for a girl；〃 she said； 〃and〃
But here the mere effort of speech sent her off into an audible
and genuine outburst of laughter。 It was the first time he had
seen her even smile other than bitterly。 Characteristically
unconscious of any humor in her error； h