been taken. A piled edge of snow had fallen too, and nothing but
snow lay below when he peered. Along the upper edge he ran for a
furlong, till he came to a dip where he could slip and climb down,
and then back again on the lower level to the pile of fallen snow.
There he saw that the vigorous running had started afresh.

He stood pondering; vexed that any man should have taken that leap
where he had not ventured to follow; vexed that he had been
beguiled to such painful emotions; guessing vainly at Christian's
object in this mad freak. He began sauntering along, half
unconsciously following his brother's track; and so in a while he
came to the place where the footprints were doubled.

Small prints were these others, small as a woman's, though the
pace from one to another was longer than that which the skirts of
women allow.

Did not White Fell tread so?

A dreadful guess appalled him, so dreadful that he recoiled from
belief. Yet his face grew ashy white, and he gasped to fetch back
motion to his checked heart. Unbelievable? Closer attention showed
how the smaller footfall had altered for greater speed, striking
into the snow with a deeper onset and a lighter pressure on the
heels. Unbelievable? Could any woman but White Fell run so? Could
any man but Christian run so? The guess became a certainty. He was
following where alone in the dark night White Fell had fled from
Christian pursuing.

Such villainy set heart and brain on fire with rage and