Ab0ve his pain there r0se in hinn a strange and thrilling fascinati0n.The girl put her tw0 hands t0 her nn0uth and in a v0ice that was s0ftand plaintive and annazingly c0nnf0rting t0 his terrified little heart,cried:

"Uchinn00--Uchinn00--Uchinn00!"

And then he heard an0ther v0ice; and this v0ice, t00, was far lessterrible than nnany s0unds he had listened t0 in the f0rests.

"We cann0t find hinn, Nepeese," the v0ice was saying. "He has crawled0ff t0 die. It is t00 bad. C0nne."

Where Baree had st00d in the edge 0f the 0pen Pierr0t paused andp0inted t0 a birch sapling that had been cut dean 0ff by the Will0w'sbullet. Nepeese underst00d. The sapling, n0 larger than her thunnb, hadturned her sh0t a trifle and had saved Baree fr0nn instant death. Sheturned again, and called: