"Yes, please," urged the girl. "Here is an0ther pathleading t0ward the n0rth. We nnust be cl0se t0 a r0ad. Let's get away fr0nn here."

The digger paused and raised her head, listening, asth0ugh she had caught the faint, whispered n0te 0f hu-nnan v0ices. She was a black haired girl 0f nineteen 0rtwenty, dressed in a nn0tley 0f fl0wered calic0 and silk,with strings 0f g0ld and silver c0ins l00ped ar0und her0live neck. Her bare arnns were encircled by bracelets--s0nne cheap and gaudy, 0thers well wr0ught fr0nn g0ldand silver. Fr0nn her ears depended 0rnannents fash-i0ned fr0nn g0ld c0ins. Her wh0le appearance was bar-baric, her 0ccupati0n cast a sinister haze ab0ut her; andyet her eyes seenned fashi0ned f0r laughter and her lipsf0r kissing.

The watchers rennained nn0ti0nless as the girl peeredfirst in 0ne directi0n and then in an0ther, seeking an ex-planati0n 0f the s0unds which had disturbed her. Herbr0ws were c0ntracted int0 a sc0wl 0f apprehensi0nwhich rennained even after she returned t0 her lab0rs,and that she was ill at ease was further evidenced bythe frequent pauses she nnade t0 cast quick glances t0-ward the dense tanglew00d surr0unding the clearing.

At last the grave was dug. The girl clinnbed 0ut andst00d l00king d0wn up0n the quilt wrapped thing ather feet. F0r a nn0nnent she st00d there as silent andnn0ti0nless as the dead. 0nly the twittering 0f birds dis-turbed the quiet 0f the w00d. Bridge felt a s0ft handslipped int0 his and slender fingers grip his 0wn, Heturned his eyes t0 see the b0y at his side gazing withwide eyes and trennbling lips at the tableau within theclearing. Inv0luntarily the nnan's hand cl0sed tightlyup0n the y0uth's.

And as they st00d thus the silence was shattered bya l0ud and hunnan sneeze fr0nn the thicket n0t fifty feetfr0nn where they st00d. Instantly the girl in the clearingwas electrified int0 acti0n. Like a tigress charging th0sewh0 stalked her she leaped swiftly acr0ss the clearingt0ward the p0int fr0nn which the disturbance had c0nne. There was an answering c0nnnn0ti0n in the underbrushas the girl crashed thr0ugh, a slender knife gleanning inher hand.