mountains, and did what Thryng had not known her to do, what he had wondered if she ever did— She laughed—laughed aloud and joyously.
"Why do you laugh?" he asked, and laughed with her.
"I'm that glad all at once. I don't know why. If the mountains could feel and be glad, seems like they'd be laughing now away off there by the sea. I wonder will I ever see the ocean."
"Of course you will. You are not going to live always shut up in these mountains. Laugh again. Let me hear you."
But she turned on him startled eyes. "I clean forgot that poor man down below, so like to die I am 'most afraid to get back there. Look down. It must have been in a place like that where Christian slew Apollyon in the dark valley, like I was reading to Hoyle last night."
"Does he live down in there? I mean the man Irwin—not Apollyon. He's dead, for Christian slew him."
"Yes, the Irwins live there. See yonder that spot of cleared red ground? There's their place. The house is hid by the dark trees nigh the red spot. Can you make it out?"
"Yes, but I call that far."
"It's easy riding. Shall we go on? I'm that frightened—we'd better hurry."