He felt very glad of this now.

To have admitted weakness would have been weak indeed.

For the girl was so splendidly strong! Only a child, of course, but so finely moulded, so superbly strung--light and lithe.

How she had swung up the trail, a heavy packet in either hand, with scarcely a quickened breath to tell of the effort! Her face ?--he tried to recall her face but found it provokingly elusive.

It was a young face, but not youthful.