Peggy, seating herself in the doorway, described the scene to her patient, who could see but little of it. "Oh, but it's gloriously uncanny to be here. Only think! We are now alone with God and His animals, and the night." "I hope none of God's bears is roaming about," replied Alice, flippantly. "There aren't any bears above the berries. We're perfectly safe. My soul! but it's a mighty country! I wish you could see the glow on the peaks." "I'm taking my punishment," replied Alice. "Freeman was very angry, wasn't he?" "If it breaks off the match I won't be surprised," replied Peggy, with resigned intonation. "There wasn't any match to break off." "Well!" replied the other, and as she slowly rose she added: "I won't say that he is perfectly distracted about you, but I do know that he thinks more of you than of any other woman in the world, and I've no doubt he is worrying about you this minute." II It was deep moonless night when Alice woke with a start. For a few moments she lay wondering what had roused her--then a bright light flashed and her companion screamed. "Who's there!" demanded the girl. In that instant flare she saw a man's face, young, smooth, with dark eyes gleaming beneath a broad hat. He stood like a figure of bronze while his match was burning, then exclaimed in breathless wonder: "Great Peter's ghost! a woman!" Finally he stepped forward and looked down upon the white, scared faces as if uncertain of his senses. "Two of them!" he whispered. As he struck his second match he gently asked: "Would you mind saying how you got here?" Alice spoke first. "We came up with a geological survey. I got hurt and they had to leave us behind." "Where's your party gone?" "Up to the glaciers." "When did they leave?" "Yesterday morning." "When do you expect them back?" "Not for two or three days." He seemed to ponder a moment. "You say you're hurt? Where?" "My horse slipped and fell on my foot." "Wait a minute," he commanded. "I'll rustle a candle. I left one here." When his form came out of the dark blur behind his candle Alice perceived that he was no ordinary hunter. He was young, alert, and very good-looking, although his face was stern and his mouth bitter. He laid aside his hat as he approached the bunk in which the two women were cowering as mice tremble before a cat. For a full minute he looked down at them, but at last he smiled and said, in a jocular tone: "You're sure-enough women, I can see that. You'll excuse me--but when a man comes back to a shack in the middle of the night in a place like this and finds a couple of women in a bunk he's likely to think he's seeing pictures in his sleep." "I can understand that," Alice returned, recovering her self-command. "You're the ranger, I suppose? I told my friend here that you might return." "I'm mighty glad I did," he said, heartily. "Thank you; you're very kind." He bent a keen glare upon her. "What's your name?" "Alice Mansfield."