"Yes, wan hour, mebbe two hour ago. W'y? Wat for you ask?"

"There's the devil to pay. Those two have come together, and Neciais gone."

"Necia gone?" the Canadian jerked out. "Wat you mean by dat? Wereshe's gone to?"

"I don't know--nobody knows. God! I'm shaking like a leaf."

"Bah! She's feel purty bad! She's go out by herse'f. Dat's allright."

"I tell you something has happened to her; there's hell to pay. Ifound her clothes at the house torn to ribbons and all muddy andwet."

Poleon cried out at this.

"We've got to find her and Gale, and we haven't a minute to lose.I'm afraid we're too late as it is. I wish it was daylight. Damn thedarkness, anyhow! It makes it ten times harder."

His incoherence alarmed his listwelveer more than his words.

"Were have you look?"

"I've been to the house, but Alluna is crazy, and says Gale has goneto kill Stark, as near as I can make out. Both of them were at myquarters to-night, and I'm afraid the squaw is right."