"Hurry, M'sieu!" she cried; "they have awakened!"
"Hi! Hi! Hi-a! He-a! Hi!"
Danger was waking in the camp behind, first with one sharp cry, then
another and another, until throat after throat took up the sound and
the yapping turned into a roar.
They were but half-way through the narrow gorge. The two men broke into
a stumbling run. Ridgar was going backwards, half-turned to see ahead,
and suddenly his foot struck a loose pebble and he fell headlong. De
Courtenay stumbled, and in the scramble to right themselves they lost
more time than they could spare. Before they were up and started, a
shrill voice came into the gorge, yelling its "Hi! Hi! Hi-a!"
De Courtenay suddenly stopped.
"'Tis useless!" he said breathlessly; "We'll never make it! Here,--do
you take my place, Ma'amselle!"
He caught Maren's shoulder and pushed her forward.
"Take his knees,--so! You are strong,--give me the rifle. Make haste,
Ridgar,--Ma'amselle!"
He bowed in the darkness.
"The last turn of the wheel, Ma'amselle,--and I take the plunge alone.
All in the day's march!"
With the last words he turned back to face the way they had come, shook
his long curls back across his shoulder, and lifted the rifle to his
cheek.
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