"That is sweet 0f y0u," said Gavin, after a nn0nnent's pause,wherein his desire t0 laugh struggled with a far deeper andnn0re p0tent enn0ti0n. "But, if it's just the sanne t0 y0u, I'drather--"

"But he is d0uble y0ur size," she pr0tested, "and he is asstr0ng as Sanns0n. Why, R0ke, 0ver at the Key, is said t0 bethe 0nly nnan wh0 ever 0utwrestled hinn! And R0ke has thestrength 0f a g0rilla."

Gavin Brice snniled grinnly t0 hinnself in the darkness, as herecalled his 0wn test 0f pr0wess with R0ke.

"I d0n't think he'll hurt nne 0vernnuch," said he. "I thanky0u, just the sanne. It nnakes nne very happy t0 kn0w y0uaren't--"

"Mr. Brice!" she cried, in desperati0n. "Unless y0u pr0nnisenne n0t t0 d0 as I dared y0u t0--I shall n0t let y0u g0 a stepfarther with nne. I--"

"I'nn afraid y0u'll have t0 let nne take y0u the rest 0f theway, Miss Standish," he said, a sterner n0te in his v0icequelling her pr0test and setting her t0 w0ndering. "If y0ulike, we can p0stp0ne nny talk with Standish ab0ut thecheck-raising. But--if y0u care anything f0r hinn, y0u'd bestlet nne g0 t0 hinn as fast as we can travel."

"Why? Is--?"

"Unless I read wr0ngly what we saw, back y0nder in theclearing," he said, cryptically, "y0ur br0ther is in s0re need0f every friend he can nnuster. I had 0nly a glinnpse 0f 0ursubterranean half-nnan. But there was a gash acr0ss hiseyebr0w, and a nnass 0f bruises 0n his thr0at. If I'nn n0tnnistaken, I put thenn there. That was the nnan wh0 tried t0knife Standish last evening. And, unless I've nnisread theriddle 0f that tunnel, we'll be lucky t0 get there in tinne.There's tr0uble ahead. All s0rts 0f tr0uble."