Soon I felt her hands upon my chest as she pushed herself up to look over the logs. By this movement the blindfold was partially lifted and I could see her--her body curved backward, as a mermaid that raises itself at arm's length upon the shore. Her lips were parted, her eyes were steady and level as they gazed searchingly across the sea of grass--as many a nymph, no doubt, hiding from a company of swashbuckling gnomes, must have peeped out to see if her glade were safe before venturing from the wood. In another moment she had left me and run a few steps toward the prairie, crying: "Look! He's 'way, 'way off!" "I can't look," I called after her. "You've put me here for life!" Indeed, I was so completely held that the first result of my twisting seemed only to make me lose ground. She came back, this time laughing without control--but I knew the sign; my nerves, too, had recently been drunk on relaxation from a strain. Tucking up her hair with a few quick movements she held down both hands to me and, after more squirming, I worked myself out. But our enemy had by this time disappeared. "If that fellow's back, the others are, too," I said, with some display of temper. "You've made the very devil of a mess!" "I suppose I have," she looked demurely away. There was nothing of the tigress, nothing of the willful little fighter, now. "The consequence is," I continued, "that we have to decide between two darned slim chances, for they'll be coming back within an hour. We can stay here, or run for it! What do you think?" But as she remained silent, gazing across the prairie, I kept irritably on: "If it's run, we can't reach the forests north, south or east without being seen--and you know what a fight in the open means against such odds. We might hide in the grass and travel at night, but if their woodcraft's worth a hang they'll read our trail on this kind of ground like an electric sign. There's an Indian in their crowd, too. If we stay, the fort'll keep them off till night--and there's always a hope of Smilax turning up. They mightn't rush us after dark, either." I could see that the fort was our best chance, but still I wanted her opinion. Something about the way she stood, having no word to say, rather awed me, and going softly I looked around at her face. Her cheeks were wet and her lips were trembling with convulsive sobs. Oh, how I hated myself then! "Good God," I cried, throwing my arms about her, "see what I've done!" But she put her palms against my shoulders and held me off, saying brokenly: "You haven't done anything." "I have," I cried again. "I've hurt you--hurt the one I love most in all the world!" "Don't," she said, more startled now than at any time when she had been facing a greater danger. "Quick! Please--let's get the things we need for the fort!" And she sprang away from me, running toward the pool.