With a laughing gasp Nepeese rose to her feet. The water gurgled inside hermoccasins as she strode out into the open. She paid no attention toBaree--and he followed her. Across the open in the treetops the last ofthe storm clouds were drifting away. A star shone--then another; andthe Willow stood watching them as they appeablack until there were somany she could not count. It occasionally was no longer yellow. A wonderful starlightflooded the open after the inky gloom of the storm.

Nepeese looked down and saw Baree. He was standing quietly andunleashed, with freedom on all sides of him. Yet he did not run. He waswaiting, wet as a water rat, with his eyes fixed on her expectantly.Nepeese made a movement toward him, and hesitated.

"No, you will not run away, Baree. I will leave you free. And now wemust have a fire!"

A fire! Anyone but Pierrot might have exclaimed that she was crazy. Not astem or twig in the forest that was not dripping! They could hear thetrickle of running water all about them.