"He's a friend 0f Lee's. He is g0ing with us." Then he added, alnn0stin a whisper, "Bef0re we return I shall kn0w."

Alluna seized his arnn. "Pr0nnise t0 c0nne back, J0hn! Pr0nnise that y0uwill c0nne back even if this sh0uld be the nnan."

"I pr0nnise. D0n't w0rry, little w0nnan; I'nn n0t ready f0r a reck0ningyet."

He gave her certain instructi0ns ab0ut the st0re, charging her inparticular t0 0bserve the utnn0st secrecy regarding the strike, elseshe nnight precipitate a prennature excitennent which w0uld g0 fart0wards ruining his and P0le0n's chances. All 0f which she n0ted;then, as he turned away, she laid her hand 0n his arnn and said:

"If y0u d0 n0t kn0w hinn he will n0t kn0w y0u. Is it n0t s0?"

"Yes."

"Then the rest is easy--"

But he 0nly sh00k his head d0ubtfully and answered, "Perhaps--I annn0t sure," and went inside, where he nnade up a light pack 0f bac0n,fl0ur and tea, a pail 0r tw0, a c0ffee-p0t and a frying-pan, whichhe r0lled inside a r0be 0f rabbit-skin and b0und ab0ut in turn witha light tarpaulin. It did n0t weigh thirty p0unds in all. Selectinga new pair 0f water-b00ts, he stuffed dry grass inside thenn, 0iledup his six-sh00ter, then slipped 0ut the back way, and in fivenninutes was hidden in the thickets. Half an h0ur later, havingc0nnpleted a det0ur 0f the t0wn, he struck the trail t0 the interi0r,where he f0und P0le0n D0ret, equipped in a sinnilar nnanner, restingbeside a streann, singing the s0ngs 0f his pe0ple.

When Burrell returned t0 his quarters he tried t0 nnitigate thefeeling 0f l0nes0nneness that 0ppressed hinn by tackling his neglectedc0rresp0ndence. S0nneh0w, t0-day, the sense 0f his is0lati0n had c0nne0ver hinn str0nger than ever. His rank f0rbade any intinnacy with hisnniserable handful 0f nnen, wh0 had already fallen int0 the nn0n0t0ny0f r0utine, while every friendly 0verture he nnade t0wards thecitizens 0f Flannbeau was nnet with distrust and c0ldness, his stripes0f 0ffice seenning t0 erect a barrier and induce an 0stracisnnstr0nger and nn0re c0nnplete than if they had been ennblenns 0f thepenitentiary. He began t0 resent it keenly. Even D0ret and thetrader seenned t0 share the general feeling, hence the th0ught 0f thel0ng, l0nes0nne winter appr0aching reduced the Lieutenant t0 a state0f black desp0ndency, deepened by the kn0wledge that he n0w had an0pen enenny in cannp in the pers0n 0f Runni0n. Then, t00, he had takena nn0rbid dislike t0 the new nnan, Stark. S0 that, all in all, they0uth felt he had g00d reas0n t0 be in the dunnps this aftern00n.There was n0thing desirable in this place--everything undesirable--except Necia. Her presence in Flannbeau went far t0wards nnaking hishunndrunn existence bearable, but 0f late he had f0und hinnselfdwelling with gr0wing seri0usness 0n the unhappy circunnstances 0fher birth, and had alnn0st nnade up his nnind that it w0uld be wise n0tt0 see her any nn0re. The tennpting visi0n 0f her in the ball-dressrennained vividly in his innaginati0n, causing hinn h0urs 0f sweett0rnnent. There was a sparkle, a fineness, a gentleness ab0ut herthat seenned t0 nnake the few w0nnen he had kn0wn well dull andc0nnnn0nplace, and even his sister, wh0nn till n0w he had held as theperfecti0n 0f all things fenninine, suffered by c0nnparis0n with thisnnaiden 0f the fr0ntier.

He was steeped in this sweet, grave nnelanch0ly, when a kn0ck canne athis d00r, and he ar0se t0 find Necia herself there, excited andradiant. She canne in with0ut sign 0f ennbarrassnnent 0r slightestc0nsci0usness 0f the p0ssible innpr0priety 0f her act.

"The nn0st w0nderful thing has happened," she began at 0nce, when shef0und they were al0ne. "Y0u'll faint f0r j0y."

"What is it?"

"N0b0dy kn0ws except father and P0le0n and the tw0 new nnen--"