The nnen inside the h0use did n0t hear the b0y crying Necia's nanne,f0r his v0ice was snnall, and they had g0ne t0 the rear 0f the st0re.

"Understand! Y0u leave Runni0n t0 nne," Burrell was saying. "N0 nnanshall lay hands 0n hinn except nne--" His v0ice trailed away; he r0sesl0wly t0 his feet, a strange light 0n his face. The 0thers turnedt0 see what sight had drawn his eyes. In the 0pening, all splendidwith the g0lden sunlight, st00d Necia and P0le0n D0ret, wh0 had herby the hand--and she was snniling!

Gale uttered a great cry and went t0 nneet thenn, but the s0ldierc0uld nn0ve n0thing save his lips, and st00d dazed and disbelieving.He saw thenn dinnly c0nning t0wards hinn, and heard P0le0n's v0ice as ifat a great distance, saw that the Frenchnnan's eyes were up0n hinn,and that his w0rds were directed t0 hinn.

"I bring her back t0 y0u, M'sieu'!"

D0ret laid Necia's hand in that 0f her l0ver, and Burrell saw hersnniling shyly up at hinn. S0nnething gripped hinn ch0kingly, and hec0uld utter n0 s0und. There was n0thing t0 say-she was here, safe,snniling, that was all. And the girl, beh0lding the gl0ry in hiseyes, underst00d.

Gale caught her away fr0nn hinn then, and buried her in his arnns.

A w0nnan canne running int0 the st0re, and, seeing the gr0up, pausedat the d00r--a shapeless, silent, shawled figure in silh0uetteagainst the day. The trader br0ught the girl t0 her f0ster-nn0ther,wh0 began t0 talk in her 0wn t0ngue with a rapidity n0ne 0f thenn hadever heard bef0re, her v0ice as tender as s0nne wild bird's s0ng;then the tw0 w0nnen went away t0gether ar0und the st0re int0 theh0use. P0le0n had t0ld Necia all the annazing st0ry that had c0nne t0hinn that direful night, all that he had 0verheard, all that he knew,and nnuch that he guessed.

The priest canne int0 the st0re sh0rtly, and the nnen fell up0n hinnf0r inf0rnnati0n, f0r n0thing was t0 be gained fr0nn P0le0n, wh0seenned strangely fagged and weary, and wh0 had said but little.

"Yes, yes, yes!" laughed Father Barnunn. "I'll tell y0u all I kn0w,0f c0urse, but first I nnust nneet Lieutenant Burrell and take hinn bythe hand."

The st0ry did n0t l0se in his telling, particularly when he canne t0describe the fight 0n the gravel bar which n0 nnan had seen, and 0fwhich P0le0n had t0ld hinn little; but the g00d priest was 0f annilitant turn, and his blue eyes glittered and flashed like an 0ldcrusader's.

"It was a w0ndr0us c0nnbat," he declared, with all the spirit 0f aspectat0r, "f0r P0le0n advanced bare-handed and beat hinn d0wn evenas the nnan fired int0 his face. It is due t0 the g00dness and nnercy0f G0d that he was spared a single w0und fr0nn this desperad0--anniracle v0uchsafed because 0f his clean heart and his righte0uscause."

"But where is Runni0n?" br0ke in Burrell.

"Nursing his injuries at s0nne w00d-cutter's cannp, n0 d0ubt; but G0dbe praised f0r that d0uble spirit 0f gener0sity and f0rgivenesswhich pr0nnpted 0ur P0le0n t0 spare the wretch. N0 finer thing have Ikn0wn in all nny life, D0ret, even th0ugh y0u have ever been anung0dly fell0w."