They started.  Within five minutes they were on the floor of the tundra.  About them in all directions stretched the sunlit plains.  Half a mile back toward the range were moving figures; farther west were others, and eastward, almost at the edge of the ravine, were two men who would have discovered them in another moment if they had not descended into the hollow.  Alan could see them kneeling to drink at the little coulee which ran through it.

“Don’t hurry,” he said, with a sudden swift thought.  “Keep parallel with me and a distance away.  They may not discover you are a woman and possibly may think we are searchers like themselves.  Stop when I stop.  Follow my movements.”

“Yes, sir!”

Now, in the sunlight, she was not afraid.  Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes bright as stars as she nodded at him.  Her face and hands were soiled with muck-stain, her dress spotted and torn, and looking at her thus Alan laughed and cried out softly: 

“You beautiful little vagabond!”

She sent the laugh back, a soft, sweet laugh to give him courage, and after that she watched him closely, falling in with his scheme so cleverly that her action was better than his own—­and so they had made their way over a third of the plain when Alan came toward her suddenly and cried, “Now, run!”

A glance showed her what was happening.  The two men had come out of the ravine and were running toward them.

Swift as a bird she was ahead of Alan, making for a pinnacle of rock which he had pointed out to her at the edge of the kloof.

Close behind her, he said:  “Don’t hesitate a second.  Keep on going.  When they are a little nearer I am going to kill them.  But you mustn’t stop.”

At intervals he looked behind him.  The two men were gaining rapidly.  He measured the time when less than two hundred yards would separate them.  Then he drew close to Mary’s side.

“See that level place ahead?  We’ll cross it in another minute or two.  When they come to it I’m going to stop, and catch them where they can’t find shelter.  But you must keep on going.  I’ll overtake you by the time you reach the edge of the kloof.”

She made no answer, but ran faster; and when they had passed the level space she heard his footsteps growing fainter, and her heart was ready to choke her when she knew the time had come for him to turn upon their enemies.  But in her mind burned the low words of his command, his warning, and she did not look back, but kept her eyes on the pinnacle of rock, which was now very near.  She had almost reached it when the first shot came from behind her.