“Religion never brought anything but good to any one,” said Elijah Nelson.  “It’s religion now that makes me allow you within my doors.”

Douglas gave the Mormon a quick glance.  Somewhere back of his anxiety it occurred to him that he would like to ask this man some of the questions that had troubled him for years.  But now he said urgently to the woman, “If Judith was here, for God’s sake, tell me!  She must not try to cross Black Devil Pass.”

The woman turned to Elijah.  “Tell him, Pa!”

Elijah scratched his head, eying Douglas keenly the while.  “Peter Knight told me something about you.  You don’t seem to have been tarred with the same brush as the rest of the Gentiles in Lost Chief.  That isn’t saying I excuse the way you talked to me up at your chapel, but I guess you’re to be trusted as far as women are concerned.  The girl came in here last night.  She was pretty well tuckered but as mad as hops.  She told me that Saturday night she had a violent quarrel with John Spencer and that she fled from home in a burst of anger that was still on her when she got here.  She’s headed for the Pass and the railroad beyond and nothing that I know of can stop her.  My wife and I did all we could to make her give up the idea but she was sure she could make it.  And I almost believe she can!  She’s as strong as a young mountain lion:  the way God intended women to be.  She stayed here all night and got away about an hour before dawn.  We outfitted her good.  She thought maybe she could make through the Pass by to-night, but I doubt it.  Snow is awful deep up on Black Devil.  We’ve been looking for her back all day.”

Douglas drew a long breath.  “Thank you, Mr. Nelson!” he said, and started for the door.

“Wait!  Wait!” cried Mrs. Nelson.  “You must have some supper and you must rest.  You look terrible!”

Douglas shook his head.  “Every minute counts.  I’m not tired, only terribly worried.  I couldn’t rest.”

Nelson walked over to the door deliberately, and put a big hand on Doug’s shoulder.  “You fill yourself with some hot food, Spencer.  You know better than to tackle this job empty.  That girl is in a desperate frame of mind.  You are going to have a struggle with her, if you do overtake her.  You must be cool and save your mind and body.  How did she come to be in such, a state of mind?”

“She wasn’t desperate,” said Mrs. Nelson, unexpectedly.  “She was sort of—­of wild.  I can’t just find the word for it.  But lots of young women are like that now-a-days.”

Douglas looked at her curiously.  Some phrase of Peter’s, half forgotten, came back to him.  “Revolt,” he muttered.  “Revolt, that’s it.”

The woman nodded.  “Yes, revolt’s the word.”

Elijah shook Doug’s shoulder.  “How many horses have you?”

“Two.”

“I’ll feed ’em.  Go sit down to that table and let my wife fix you up.”

Douglas slowly pulled off his gloves, and his voice broke boyishly as he said, “You folks are awful kind.”