“I’m alone.  You’re safe.  How long have you been back?”

“Mor’n two weeks!”

Nella-Rose started.  So they had known all along, and while she had played with Marg the hunt might at any moment have become deadly earnest.

“More’n two weeks,” Lawson repeated.

“Where?” The girl’s voice was hard and cold.

“In the Holler.  Miss Lois Ann helped—­but Lord! you can’t eat a helpless old woman out of house and home.  Last night—­”

“Yes, yes; I know.  And oh, Burke, Mister Merrivale hasn’t forgot—­the fever and your goodness.  He won’t give you up.”

“He won’t need to.  I’m right safe, ’cept for food.  There’s an old hole, back of a deserted still—­I can even have a bit of fire.  The devil himself couldn’t find me.  After a time I’m going—­”

“Where?  Where, Burke?”

“Nella-Rose, would you come with me?  ’Twas you as brought me back—­I had to come.  If you will—­oh! my doney-gal—­”

“Stop! stop, Burke.  Some one might be near.  No, no; I couldn’t leave the hills—­I’d die from the longing, you know that!”

“If I—­dared them all—­could you take me, Nella-Rose?  I’d run my chances with you!  Night and day you tug and pull at the heart o’ me, Nella-Rose.”

Fear, and a deeper understanding, drove Nella-Rose to the wrong course.

“When you dare to come out—­when they-all let you stay out—­then ask me again, Burke Lawson.  I’m not going to sweetheart with one who dare not show his head.”

Her one desire was to get Lawson away; she must be free!

“Nella-Rose, I’ll come out o’ this.”

“No! no!” the girl gasped, “they’re not after you to shoot you, Burke; Jed Martin is for putting you in jail!”

“Good God—­the sneaking coward.”

“And Jim White is off raising a posse, he means to—­to see fair play.  Wait until Jim comes back; then give yourself up.”

“And then—­then, Nella-Rose?”

The young, keen face among the dead leaves glowed with a light that sent the blood from Nella-Rose’s heart.

“See”—­she said inconsequently—­“I have” (she counted them out), “I have a dozen eggs; give them to Miss Lois Ann!”

“Let me touch you, Nella-Rose!  Just let me touch your lil’ hand.”

“Wait until Jim White comes back!”

Then, because a rabbit scurried from its shelter, Burke Lawson sank into his, and Nella-Rose in mad haste took to the trail and was gone!  A moment later Lawson peered out again and tried to decide which way she went, but his wits were confused—­so he laughed that easy, fearless laugh of his and put in his hat the eggs Nella-Rose had left.  Then, crawling and edging along, he retraced his steps to that hole in the Hollow where he knew he was as safe as if he were in his grave.