"Oh, thank you," said the girl fervently. "Do forgive me for asking if
you were with him. I knew you were not the minute I saw you. I did not
turn my face, although he tried to make me. I don't know why, but I do
know he was something terrible and wicked." The girl said this last with
a shudder. She caught hold of James's arm innocently, as a frightened
child might have done. "You don't think he will come back?"

"No, and if he does I will take care of you."

"He may be--armed."

Suddenly the girl reeled. "Don't let me faint away. I won't faint away,"
she said in an angry voice. James saw that she was actually biting her
lips to overcome the faintness.

"If you will sit down on that rock for a moment," said James, "I have
something in my medicine-case which will revive you. I am a doctor."

"I shall faint away if I sit down and give up to it, if I swallow your
whole case," said the girl weakly. "I know myself. Let me hold your arm
and walk, and don't make me talk, then I can get over it." She was
biting her lips almost to bleeding.

James walked on as he was bidden, with the slender little brown-clad
figure clinging to him. He realized that he had fallen in with a girl
who had a will which was possibly superior to anything in his
medicine-case when it came to overcoming fright.

They walked on until they came in sight of a farm-house, when the girl
spoke again, and James saw that the color was returning to her face. "I