In his mood, which was not a pleasant one, each fresh blow stirred him to a grimmer effort, made with a curious quiet fury from which his comrades now and then almost shrank.

Turning abruptly, he shook himself free from Saunders' grip.
"Well," he said, "I'm going to bring out that powder." In a moment he had scrambled up the pile of shattered rock, and was running across the open space like a deer.

It was strewn with half-burned branches, and here and there with little piles of glowing fragments, but he went straight through them without a stumble; and it must be admitted that his comrades stood still and watched him with consternation before it dawned on them that it was scarcely fitting to let him go alone.

Then Saunders climbed up to the level ground somewhat deliberately.
"I guess," he said, "we've got to go after the blame fool!" They set out; but Saunders, who had been keeping store for some years, was not remarkably agile; and one could hardly blame Devine for proceeding with a certain caution.

However, they reached the outside of the shack soon after Weston had disappeared in it, and they stopped gasping.