"I shall have Lieutenant Glahn. I don't care to run after anyone else."

"_Saa for Satan_, [Footnote: Expletive, equivalent to "The Devil!" or
"Damnation!"] girl, be quiet!" I whispered, stamping my foot.

She gave me a look of surprise, made a wry face as if it hurt, and then
smiled bashfully. I was deeply moved at that; the helpless look in her
eyes and her little thin figure were more than I could resist; I was
drawn to her in that moment, and I took her long, slight hand in mine.

"Afterwards," I said, "No more now. We can meet again to-morrow."



XI


In the night I heard Asop get up from his corner and growl; I heard it
through my sleep, but I was dreaming just then of shooting, the growl of
the dog fitted into the dream, and it did not wake me, quite. When I
stepped out of the hut next morning there were tracks in the grass of a
pair of human feet; someone had been there--had gone first to one of my
windows, then to the other. The tracks were lost again down on the road.

She came towards me with hot cheeks, with a face all beaming.

"Have you been waiting?" she said. "I was afraid you would have to
wait."