Before she could press the trigger, the beast bounded away, with a snarl far deeper, far more ferocious than any coyote could have uttered. The girl did not fire. The wolf had seen the glint of her pistol barrel and had fled. He would not return. But she shuddered and drew the sleeping baby close as she thought of what might have happened had she left him alone in the nest between the rock and the tree. The precious, helpless child! He was of her own blood, the son of her strong, splendid brother ... of her brother, lying down there in those awful depths, helpless--in agony!... CHAPTER XXXI CONFESSIONS A groping hand touched her arm; bandaged fingers sought to feel who she was. Behind her sounded a drowsy incoherent murmur. The snarl of the wolf had roused the sleeper from his torpor. "Hush--hush!" she whispered. "It is all well. I am here by you. Lie still." "Isobel!" he murmured. "Isobel!" "Yes, dear!" she soothed. "I am here. Rest--go to sleep again. All is well." "All is--?" He roused a little more. "You say--Then he is safe! They have brought him up--out of that hell!" She could not lie outright. "He will soon be safe. By morning help will have come to us. As soon as the men can see to go down, they will descend for him. They will bring him up the way that you have shown us!" Her voice quivered with pride of what he had done. She drew up his hand and pressed her lips tenderly upon the bandages. Had the caress been a burn, he could not have more quickly snatched the hand away. He sought to rise, and struck his head against the overhanging rock. "Where am I? Let me out!" he said. "No, you must not! Lie still! You must not!" she remonstrated. "Lie still?" he repeated. "Lie still! with him down there--alone!" "But it is night--midnight. It will be hours before even the moon rises." "And he down there--alone! Help me make ready. I am going down to him." "Going down? But you cannot! It is midnight!" "There is a lantern. I shall take that. It will be easier than in the daytime, for I shall not see those sickening precipices below." He sought to creep out past her. She clutched his arm. "No, no! do not go! There is no need! Wait until they come. You have done your share--far more than your share! Wait!" "I cannot," he replied. "I must go down to him. I have no right to be up here, and he still down there." "You must!" she urged, clinging tighter to his arm. "You may fall. I am afraid! I cannot bear it! Do not go! Stay with me--say that you will stay with me--dearest!" "Good God!" he cried, tearing himself away from her, "To let you say it--say it to me!" "Dearest!" she repeated. "Dearest, do not go! There is no need! I cannot bear it! Do not go!" "No need? My God! When I could fling myself over, if it were not for him! To have let you say it--to me--to a liar! thief! murderer!" "Dearest!" she whispered. "Hush! You are delirious--you do not know--"