Boylewasneitherahard-heartednoranundulysensitiveman。Hisvocationhadbroughthimperilenoughbylandandwater；hehadoftenrenderedvaluableassistancetoothers，hissympathyneverconfusinghisdirectnessandcommonsense。Hewassorryforthesetwomen，andwouldhavefoughttosavethem。Buthehadnoimaginativeideasofdeath。Andhiskeenperceptionofthetruthwasconsequentlysensitivelyaliveonlytothatgrotesquenessofaspectwhichtoooftenthehaplessvictimsofviolenceareapttoassume。Hesawnoagonyinthevacanteyesofthetwomenlyingontheirbacksinapparentlythecomplacentabandonmentofdrunkenness，whichwasfurthersimulatedbytheirtumbledanddisorderedhairmattedbycoagulatedblood，which，however，hadlostitssanguinecolor。Hethoughtonlyoftheunsuspectinggirlsittinginthelonelycoach，andhurriedlydraggedthemfurtherintothebushes。Indoingthishediscoveredaloadedrevolverandaflaskofspiritswhichhadbeenlyingunderthem，andpromptlysecuredthem。Afewpacesawaylaythecovetedtrunksofarmsandammunition，theirlidswrenchedoffandtheircontentsgone。Henoticedwithagrimsmilethathisowntrunksofsampleshadsharedalikefate，butwasdelightedtofindthatwhilethebrightertrifleshadattractedtheIndians’childishcupiditytheyhadoverlookedaheavyblackmerinoshawlofacheapbutserviceablequality。ItwouldhelptoprotectMissCantirefromtheeveningwind，whichwasalreadyrisingoverthechillandstarkplain。Italsooccurredtohimthatshewouldneedwaterafterherparchedjourney，andheresolvedtolookforaspring，beingrewardedatlastbyatricklingrillneartheambushcamp。Buthehadnoutensilexceptthespiritflask，whichhefinallyemptiedofitscontentsandreplacedwiththepurewater——aheroicsacrificetoatravelerwhoknewthecomfortofastimulant。Heretracedhissteps，andwasjustemergingfromthethicketwhenhisquickeyecaughtsightofamovingshadowbeforehimclosetotheground，whichsetthehotbloodcoursingthroughhisveins。
ItwasthefigureofanIndiancrawlingonhishandsandkneestowardsthecoach，scarcelyfortyyardsaway。ForthefirsttimethatafternoonBoyle’scalmgood-humorwasoversweptbyablindandfuriousrage。Yeteventhenhewassaneenoughtorememberthatapistolshotwouldalarmthegirl，andtokeepthatweaponasalastresource。Foraninstanthecreptforwardassilentlyandstealthilyasthesavage，andthen，withasuddenbound，leapeduponhim，drivinghisheadandshouldersdownagainsttherocksbeforehecouldutteracry，andsendingthescalpingknifehewascarryingbetweenhisteethflyingwiththeshockfromhisbatteredjaw。Boyleseizedit——hiskneestillintheman’sback——buttheprostratebodynevermovedbeyondaslightcontractionofthelowerlimbs。TheshockhadbrokentheIndian’sneck。Heturnedtheinertmanonhisback——theheadhunglooselyontheside。ButinthatbriefinstantBoylehadrecognizedthe“friendly“Indianofthestationtowhomhehadgiventhecard。
Herosedizzilytohisfeet。Thewholeactionhadpassedinafewsecondsoftime，andhadnotevenbeennoticedbythesoleoccupantofthecoach。Hemechanicallycockedhisrevolver，butthemanbeneathhimnevermovedagain。Neitherwasthereanysignofflightorreinforcementfromthethicketaroundhim。Againthewholetruthflasheduponhim。Thisspyandtraitorhadbeenleftbehindbythemarauderstoreturntothestationandavertsuspicion；hehadbeenlurkingaround，butbeingwithoutfirearms，hadnotdaredtoattackthepairtogether。
ItwasamomentortwobeforeBoyleregainedhisusualelasticgood-humor。Thenhecoollyreturnedtothespring，“washedhimselfoftheIndian，“ashegrimlyexpressedittohimself，brushedhisclothes，pickeduptheshawlandflask，andreturnedtothecoach。
Itwasgettingdarknow，buttheglowofthewesternskyshoneunimpededthroughthewindows，andthesilencegavehimagreatfear。Hewasrelieved，however，onopeningthedoor，tofindMissCantiresittingstifflyinacorner。“IamsorryIwassolong，“
hesaid，apologeticallytoherattitude，“but“——
“Isupposeyoutookyourowntime，“sheinterruptedinavoiceofinjuredtolerance。“Idon’tblameyou；anything’sbetterthanbeingcoopedupinthistiresomestageforgoodnessknowshowlong！“
“Iwashuntingforwater，“hesaidhumbly，“andhavebroughtyousome。“Hehandedhertheflask。
“AndIseeyouhavehadawash，“shesaidalittleenviously。“Howspickandspanyoulook！Butwhat’sthematterwithyournecktie？“
Heputhishandtohisneckhurriedly。Hisnecktiewasloose，andhadtwistedtoonesideinthestruggle。Hecoloredquiteasmuchfromthesensitivenessofastudiouslyneatmanasfromthefearofdiscovery。“Andwhat’sthat？“sheadded，pointingtotheshawl。
“OneofmysamplesthatIsupposewasturnedoutofthecoachandforgotteninthetransfer，“hesaidglibly。“Ithoughtitmightkeepyouwarm。“
Shelookedatitdubiouslyandlaiditgingerlyaside。“Youdon’tmeantosayyougoaboutwithsuchthingsOPENLY？“shesaidquerulously。
“Yes；onemustn’tloseachanceoftrade，youknow，“heresumedwithasmile。
“Andyouhaven’tfoundthisjourneyveryprofitable，“shesaiddryly。“Youcertainlyaredevotedtoyourbusiness！“Afterapause，discontentedly:“It’squitenightalready——wecan’tsithereinthedark。“
“Wecantakeoneofthecoachlampsinside；they’restillthere。
I’vebeenthinkingthematterover，andIreckonifweleaveonelightedoutsidethecoachitmayguideyourfriendsback。“HeHAD
consideredit，andbelievedthattheaudacityoftheact，coupledwiththeknowledgetheIndiansmusthaveofthepresenceofthesoldiersinthevicinity，woulddeterratherthaninvitetheirapproach。
Shebrightenedconsiderablywiththecoachlampwhichhelitandbroughtinside。Byitslightshewatchedhimcuriously。Hisfacewasslightlyflushedandhiseyesverybrightandkeenlooking。
Mankilling，exceptwitholdprofessionalhands，hasthedisadvantageofaffectingthecirculation。
ButMissCantirehadnoticedthattheflasksmeltofwhiskey。Thepoormanhadprobablyfortifiedhimselffromthefatiguesoftheday。
“Isupposeyouaregettingboredbythisdelay，“shesaidtentatively。
“Notatall，“hereplied。“Wouldyouliketoplaycards？I’vegotapackinmypocket。Wecanusethemiddleseatasatable，andhangthelanternbythewindowstrap。“
Sheassentedlanguidlyfromthebackseat；hewasonthefrontseat，withthemiddleseatforatablebetweenthem。FirstMr。
Boyleshowedhersometrickswiththecardsandkindledhermomentaryandflashinginterestinamysteriouslyevokedbutevanescentknave。Thentheyplayedeuchre，atwhichMissCantirecheatedadorably，andMr。Boylelostgameaftergameshamelessly。
ThenonceortwiceMissCantirewasfaintoputhercardstohermouthtoconcealanapologeticyawn，andherblue-veinedeyelidsgrewheavy。WhereuponMr。Boylesuggestedthatsheshouldmakeherselfcomfortableinthecornerofthecoachwithasmanycushionsasshelikedandthedespisedshawl，whilehetookthenightairinaprowlaroundthecoachandalookoutforthereturningparty。Doingso，hewasdelighted，afteraturnortwo，tofindherasleep，andsoreturnedcontentedlytohissentryround。
Hewassomedistancefromthecoachwhenalowmoaningsoundinthethicketpresentlyincreaseduntilitroseandfellinaprolongedhowlthatwasrepeatedfromthedarkenedplainsbeyond。Herecognizedthevoiceofwolves；heinstinctivelyfeltthesickeningcauseofit。Theyhadscentedthedeadbodies，andhenowregrettedthathehadlefthisownvictimsonearthecoach。Hewashasteningthitherwhenacry，thistimehumanandmoreterrifying，camefromthecoach。HeturnedtowardsitasitsdoorflewopenandMissCantirecamerushingtowardhim。Herfacewascolorless，hereyeswildwithfear，andhertall，slimfiguretrembledconvulsivelyasshefranticallycaughtatthelapelsofhiscoat，asiftohideherselfwithinitsfolds，andgaspedbreathlessly，——
“Whatisit？Oh！Mr。Boyle，saveme！“
“Theyarewolves，“hesaidhurriedly。“Butthereisnodanger；
theywouldneverattackyou；youweresafewhereyouwere；letmeleadyouback。“
Butsheremainedrootedtothespot，stillclingingdesperatelytohiscoat。“No，no！“shesaid，“Idarenot！Iheardthatawfulcryinmysleep。Ilookedoutandsawit——adreadfulcreaturewithyelloweyesandtongue，andasickeningbreathasitpassedbetweenthewheelsjustbelowme。Ah！What’sthat？“andsheagainlapsedinnervousterroragainsthim。
Boylepassedhisarmaroundherpromptly，firmly，masterfully。Sheseemedtofeeltheimpliedprotection，andyieldedtoitgratefully，withthefurtherbreakdownofasob。“Thereisnodanger，“herepeatedcheerfully。“Wolvesarenotgoodtolookat，Iknow，buttheywouldn’thaveattackedyou。Thebeastonlyscentssomecarrionontheplain，andyouprobablyfrightenedhimmorethanhedidyou。Leanonme，“hecontinuedashersteptottered；
“youwillbebetterinthecoach。“
“Andyouwon’tleavemealoneagain？“shesaidinhesitatingterror。
“No！“
Hesupportedhertothecoachgravely，gently——hermasterandstillmorehisownforallthatherbeautifulloosenedhairwasagainsthischeekandshoulder，itsperfumeinhisnostrils，andthecontourofherlitheandperfectfigureagainsthisown。Hehelpedherbackintothecoach，withtheaidofthecushionsandshawlarrangedarecliningcouchforheronthebackseat，andthenresumedhisoldplacepatiently。Bydegreesthecolorcamebacktoherface——asmuchofitaswasnothiddenbyherhandkerchief。
Thenatremulousvoicebehinditbeganahalf-smotheredapology。
“IamSOashamed，Mr。Boyle——Ireallycouldnothelpit！Butitwassosudden——andsohorrible——Ishouldn’thavebeenafraidofithaditbeenreallyanIndianwithascalpingknife——insteadofthatbeast！Idon’tknowwhyIdidit——butIwasalone——andseemedtobedead——andyouweredeadtooandtheywerecomingtoeatme！
Theydo，youknow——yousaidsojustnow！PerhapsIwasdreaming。
Idon’tknowwhatyoumustthinkofme——IhadnoideaIwassuchacoward！“
ButBoyleprotestedindignantly。HewassureifHEhadbeenasleepandhadnotknownwhatwolveswerebefore，hewouldhavebeenequallyfrightened。Shemusttrytogotosleepagain——hewassureshecould——andhewouldnotstirfromthecoachuntilshewaked，orherfriendscame。