A vision of Pierre, bleeding and unconscious on
the cliff, leaped into his mind, and the thought that he had lied
to Jeanne and must still make her believe what was half false
sickened him. There was, after all, a chance that Pierre would
never again come up the Churchill. "Perhaps Pierre thought we
would be hotly pursued," he went on, seeing no escape from the
demand in the girl's eyes. "In that event it would be best for me
to get you to Fort o' God as quickly as possible. You must
remember that Pierre was thinking of you. He can care for himself.
It may take him two or three days to get back the strength of--of
his arm," he finished, blindly.
"He was wounded in the arm?"
"And on the head," said Philip. "It was only a scalp wound,
however--nothing at all, except that it dazed him a little at the
time."
Jeanne pointed to the reflection of the fire on the river.
"If we should be pursued?" she suggested.
"There is no danger," assured Philip, though he had left the flap
of his revolver holster unbuttoned. "They will search for us
between their camp and Churchill."
"Citius venit periculum cum contemnitur," remonstrated Jeanne,
half smiling.
She was pale, but Philip saw that she was making a tremendous
effort to appear brave and cheerful.
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