It was growing dark when Dave was awakened by cool hands upon his face and by soft lips upon his.  He opened his eyes to find Alaire bending over him.

“You must get up,” she smiled.  “It is nearly time to go, and Inez is cooking our supper.”

He reached up and took her in his arms.  She lay upon his breast, thrilling happily with her nearness to him, and they remained so for a while, whispering now and then, trying ineffectually to voice the thoughts that needed no expression.

“Why did you let me sleep so long?” he asked her, reproachfully.

“Oh, I’ve been napping there in that chair, where I could keep one eye on you.  I’m terribly selfish; I can’t bear to lose one minute.”  After a while she said:  “I’ve made a discovery.  Father O’Malley snores dreadfully!  Juanito never heard anything like it, and it frightened him nearly to death.  He says the Father must be a very fierce man to growl so loudly.  He says, too, that he likes me much better than his mother.”

It seemed to Dave that the bliss of this awakening and the sweet intimacy of this one moment more than rewarded him for all he had gone through, and paid him for any unhappiness the future might hold in store.

He felt called upon to tell Alaire the truth about himself; but with her in his arms he had no strength of purpose; her every endearment made him the more aware of his weakness.  Again he asked himself when and how he could bear to tell her?  Not now.  Certainly not now when she was trembling under his caresses.

“I’ve been busy, too,” she was saying.  “I sent Juan to the village to learn the news, and it’s not very nice.  It’s good we stopped here.  He says Nuevo Pueblo has been destroyed, and the Federal forces are all moving south, away from the border.  So our troubles aren’t over yet.  We must reach the river tonight.”

“Yes, by all means.”

“Juan is going with us as guide.”

“You arranged everything while I snoozed, eh?  I’m ashamed of myself.”

Alaire nodded, then pretended to frown darkly.  “You ought to be,” she told him.  “While you were asleep I read your mail and—­”

“My mail?” Dave was puzzled.

“Exactly.  Have you forgotten that your pockets were full of unopened letters?”

“Oh, those!  They came just as I was leaving Jonesville, and I haven’t thought of them since.  You know, I haven’t had my clothes off.”

“I’m going to read all your love letters,” she told him, threateningly.

“Yes, and you’re going to write all of them, too,” he laughed.

But she shook a warning finger in his face.  “I told you I’m a jealous person.  I’m going to know all about you, past, present, and future.  I—­”

“Alaire!  My darling!” he cried, and his face stiffened as if with pain.

Still in a joyous mood, she teased him.  “You had better tremble, I’ve found you out, deceiver.  I know who you really are.”