More,—­unless she had deceived herself, grossly, Claire had seen in his eyes the lovelight that all his assumption of indifference had not been able to quench.  She had surprised it there, not once but a score of times.  And it had thrilled her, unaccountably.  Yet, in spite of that, he was deserting her in her moment of direst peril!

Then, through her soul surged the gloriously, divinely, illogical Faith that is the God-given heritage of the woman who loves.  And all at once she knew this man had not deserted her, that right blithely he would lay down his life for her.  That, somehow or other, he had acted for her good.  And a feeling of calm exultation filled her.

Hade stood in the doorway, barking sharp commands to several of his men, calling to them by name.  And at each call, they obeyed, like dogs at their master’s bidding.  They dashed off the veranda, in varying directions, at a lurching run, in belated pursuit of the fleeing Brice.

Then, for the first time, Hade faced about and confronted the unflinching girl and Standish who had lumbered dazedly out of the library and who stood blinking at Claire’s side.

Lifting his yachting cap, with exaggerated courtesy, Hade bowed to them.  The eternal smile on his face was intensified, as he glanced from one to the other of the pair.

“Well,” he said, and his black eyes strayed as if by accident to Claire’s face, “our heroic friend seems to have cracked under the strain, eh?  Cut and ran, like a rabbit.  Frankly, my dear Milo, you’d do better to put your reliance on me.  A man who will run away,—­with a woman looking on, too—­and leaving you both in the lurch, after promising to—­”

There was a clatter on the veranda, and Roke’s enormous bulk shouldered its way through what was left of the group of sailors, his roustabout costume at ugly variance with their neat attire.

“Did you find him?” demanded Hade, turning at the sound.

“No!” panted Roke, in keen excitement.  “But we’d better clear out, Boss!  All Dade County’s liable to be here in another five minutes.  The old Ghost Tree’s on fire.  Listen!  You can hear—­”

He finished his staccato speech by lifting his hand for silence.  And, in the instant’s hush could be heard the distant roar of a million flames.

“He didn’t desert us!” cried the girl, in ecstatic triumph.  “I knew he didn’t!  I knew it!  He—­”

But Hade did not stop to hear her.  At a bound he reached the veranda and was on the lawn below, running around the side of the house with his men trailing at his heels.

Out in the open, he halted, staring aghast at the column of fire that soared heavenward and filled the night with lurid brightness.  Back to him, one by one, came the four sailors he had sent in pursuit of Gavin.  And, for a space, all stood gazing in silence at the awesome spectacle.

Roke broke the spell by tugging at Hade’s coat, and urging eagerly: