All his intelligence and all his nerve were not sufficient to fight down the feeling of calamity.

And at last, yielding to it, he left his post, and ran like a deer across the open, through the cabin yard, and around the edge of the slope to the road.

Here his caution brought him to a halt.

Not a living thing crossed his vision.

Breaking into a run, he soon reached the back of Meeker's place and entered, to hurry forward to the cabin.
Colmor was there in the yard, breathing hard, his face working, and in front of him crouched several of the men with rifles ready.