but drew Wapi behind it so they could not be seen. Ten minutes, fifteen,
and suddenly she caught her breath and fell down on her knees beside
Wapi, putting her arms about his gaunt shoulders. "Be quiet," she
whispered. "Be quiet."

Up out of the night came a dark and grotesque shadow. It paused below the
bridge, then it came on silently and passed almost without sound toward
the captain's quarters. It was Blake. Dolores' heart was choking her. Her
arms clutched Wapi, whispering for him to be quiet, to be quiet. Blake
disappeared, and she rose to her feet. She had come of fighting stock.
Peter was proud of that. "You slim wonderful little thing!" he had said
to her more than once. "You've a heart in that pretty body of yours like
the general's!" The general was her father, and a fighter. She thought of
Peter's words now, and the fighting blood leaped through her veins. It
was for Peter more than herself that she was going to fight now.

She made Wapi understand that he must remain where he was. Then she
followed after Blake, followed until her ears were close to the door
behind which she could already hear Blake and Rydal talking.

Ten minutes later she returned to Wapi. Under her hood her face was as
white as the whitest star in the sky. She stood for many minutes close to
the dog, gathering her courage, marshaling her strength, preparing
herself to face Peter. He must not suspect until the last moment. She
thanked God that Wapi had caught the taint of Blake in the air, and she
was conscious of offering a prayer that God might help her and Peter.

Peter gave a cry of pleasure when the door opened and Dolores entered. He
saw Wapi crowding in, and laughed. "Pals already! I guess I needn't have
been afraid for you. What a giant of a dog!"