"He's done gone out, sah." "How was he feeling?" "I don' know, sah. I didn' see him!" All of this was true, but Dale had gone out the previous evening, instead of today as the maid supposed when she found his bed in disorder. The mountaineer had regularly perpetrated this ruse each night before starting on his vigil, so, should he any morning be late getting home, the servant would merely suppose he had risen early. But, once snug in his hiding place near Tusk's cabin, he would fitfully yield to cat-naps--alternately dozing a few minutes and watching half an hour. That the first of these brief slumbers did not hold him in its soothing clasp throughout the night, was merely proof of his dominant purpose to remove every obstacle which would keep the school from opening in September. Yet he had become wretchedly in need of sleep; his eyes were bloodshot, and his pulse ran fast. In another two hours Brent, through the library window, saw the carriage returning majestically along the pike. He glanced at the clock, then at the telephone, then softly closed the door and called Jane. She took a few minutes to thank him again, graciously, conventionally; nor did she mention the present by name, because it was a good-naturedly accepted neighborhood fact that Miss Gregget listened. Then she told him the Colonel had been there, that Miss Liz had been there, that Nancy had been there; that they had stayed awhile, that they had left; she asked about Dale without giving him a chance to answer; she told him something bright Bip had said, something sagacious Mac had done--and all the while the carriage was coming nearer! He had never before known her to talk so volubly, so incessantly; but, instead of translating its reason, as a wise man might have done, he looked furtively at the circle and repeatedly tried to interrupt her. At last, in desperation, he said: "They're coming up the porch, and I've only thirty seconds to ask you something!" She was very quiet then. "Will you go to the chapel with me this afternoon? Four o'clock?" "Y--yes! I think it will be fun!" "Fun! That's worse than 'audience' and 'pulpit'! Shall we ride or drive?" "Let's ride." "And Jane!" Pause--"Yes?" "It's my happiest birthday, too!" She laughed. "How old are you, Brent?" "My eyes have been open for a month;--how old does that make?" "A very small infant!" Miss Gregget snickered. "Oh," Jane gasped. "Damn," Brent growled, as both instruments clicked simultaneously. CHAPTER XXXVII TUSK Early that same morning as Jess approached the place where Dale was "laying out" near Tusk's cabin, he stopped a moment, listening; then gave the clear call of a quail. After waiting several minutes he whistled again, and as still no answer came he proceeded with extreme caution.