"Well, perhaps--it would be pretty bad to get lost up here after dark. There might be mountain lions or mad skunks. They do have mad skunks out here, don't they?" Scott chuckled. "Search me, honey, all the skunks I ever met were mad. Come on down and we'll have a look at the country." "Marc," Polly looked down at him, her eyes soft, "I'm wondering what I would have done if those bandits had gobbled you." "I don't let bandits gobble me when I'm escorting ladies," replied Scott. Then meeting her eyes, the twinkle faded out of his. "You'd better say what would I have done if you hadn't hidden in that cave." His head rested for a moment against her knee. "I don't know. Seems as though things were being managed for us, doesn't it?" "I hope so." He lifted her to her feet and she looked around her curiously. "It's a pretty place," she pronounced. "I hope you're right about the water. I saw a little stream way up in the mountains when I climbed to the cave." "I'm going to let Jasper find it for me," replied Scott. He had the saddles off the tired horses in a few seconds and they lay down and rolled happily, drying their sweaty backs in the dust. When they got to their feet again, he took the two long ropes from the saddles and fastened them around the horses' necks. "Are you going to tie them up?" demanded the girl. "Not now. Going to let them drag the ropes around. I can catch 'em easy that way. Guess they're too tired to go far." The horses had smelled the water and made for it. It ran in a trickling little stream down the hillside about a dozen feet away, hidden by some brush. Once refreshed, they were easily led back and began to feed on the coarse grass. Scott shook out the blankets. "They're a bit horsey," he admitted, "but they'll keep you warm. I put them under the saddles instead of the regular saddle blankets because I've been caught out this way before. A man learns things in this country." He handed Polly her long coat and she slipped into it. "This isn't exactly the time of year I'd pick for a camping trip," he added, "but we'll do, I reckon. Do you want to eat the sandwiches now, or do you prefer dinner at six?" Polly eyed the two big sandwiches with a serious eye. "Let's look at them a while first," she said, hungrily. "Isn't there any way of getting anything else? Can't you shoot something?" "I don't see anything but you and me and the horses. What's the matter?" For the girl had given a shriek of joy. "In my coat pocket! A cake of chocolate that Mrs. Van put there--and the sugar. I always bring it for the horses. We'll keep the chocolate for breakfast, shall we?" They ate the sandwiches and topped off with the sugar. "Which," said Polly, seriously, "is very strengthening. I've heard that they feed it to the Japanese army." "Yes, I've heard that, too," assented Scott, "but I reckon that's not all they feed 'em." "Well, it's not all you've been fed, either, so don't grumble," said the lady, practically.