And Meleese would be with them! Suddenly he heard a step, a light, running step, and with a recognizing cry he sprang out into the starlight to meet the slim, panting, white-faced figure that ran to him from between the thick walls of forest trees.
"Meleese ?" he exclaimed softly.
He held out his arms and the girl ran straight into them, thrusting her hands against his breast, throwing back her head so that she looked up into his face with great, staring, horror-filled eyes.
"Now--now--" she sobbed, "_now_ will you go ?" Her hands left his breast and crept to his shoulders; slowly they slipped over them, and as Howland pressed her closer, his lips silent, she gave an agonized cry and dropped her head against his shoulder, her whole body torn in a convulsion of grief and terror that startled him.
"You will go ?" she sobbed again and again.

"You will go--you will go--" He ran his fingers through her soft hair, crushing his face close to hers.
"No, I am not going, dear," he replied in a low, firm voice.

"Not after what happened to-night." She drew away from him as quickly as if he had struck her, freeing herself even from the touch of his hands.
"I heard--what happened--an hour ago," she said, her voice choking her.
"I overheard--them--talking." She struggled hard to control herself.
"You must leave the camp--to-night." In the gloom she saw Howland's teeth gleaming.

There was no fear in his smile; he laughed gently down into her eyes as he took her face between his hands again.
"I want to take back the promise that I gave you last night, Meleese.

I want to give you a chance to warn any whom you may wish to warn.