Page 73 sur 439

"My friend, Lieutenant Fraser. He is an officer in the ranger

force."

"Oh!" She relapsed into a momentary silence before she said: "He

isn't my brother at all. He is a murderer." She gave a sudden

little moan of pain as memory pierced her of what he had said.

"He bragged to me that he had killed my brother. He meant to kill

me, I think."

"Sho! It doesn't matter what the coyote meant. It's all over now.

You're with friends."

A warm smile lit his steel-blue eyes, softened the lines of his

lean, hard face. Never had shipwrecked mariner come to safer

harbor than she. She knew that this slim, sun-bronzed Westerner

was a man's man, that strength and nerve inhabited his sinewy

frame. He would fight for her because she was a woman as long as

he could stand and see.

A touch of color washed back into her cheeks, a glow of courage

into her heart. "Yes, it's all over. The weary, weary hours--and

the fear--and the pain--and the dreadful thirst--and worst of

all, him!"