with care, and Nellie is a famous one for looking after sick
folks," Katherine answered, as cheerfully as she could, quick to
understand what was in the mind of Miles, and feeling genuinely
sorry for him. Then she said briskly: "But I have gone and done a
fearfully stupid thing to-night, and I want to know if you feel
brave enough to help me out of a very big muddle?"

Miles bristled up in an offended fashion. "I suppose I've got as
much pluck as most people; anyhow I'm not quite a coward."

"Of course you are not, or I should not have dreamed of asking you
to help me to-night," Katherine said, with a nervous laugh; then in
a jerky tone she went on: "I want you to get the store shut up as
soon as possible, then, directly the people have cleared off, we
have got to go and bring those stores home that I had to cache."

"But we can't go at night, and in a snowstorm!" expostulated Miles;
but his eyes glowed and his nostrils dilated, as if the very
thought of such an expedition sent thrills of delight all through
him.

"It is not snowing so badly now, and luckily the moon will help us.
Moreover, if we don't go tonight it will not be of much use to go
at all; for if we wait until the morning I fancy we shall find that
most of the stores have disappeared, especially the Black Crow
tobacco," Katherine replied, then told him of the look she had seen
pass between the man who wanted the tobacco and Oily Dave, after
she had been so foolishly frank in explaining where the stores were
to be found.