could in her sleeping-cave, and tried to read. She avoided Trant as far as was possible, only seeing him at meals and when she took her daily walk in the crater-field. It was in one of these walks that she noticed among the other horses a splendid black thoroughbred, which somehow seemed familiar. Doubtless, this was the famous Abatos.
For the first day Trant was respectful, and almost timid. On the second day he alarmed her a little by his vehement declarations of love. On the third day he sought her persistently; she was afraid that he would come to her own compartment in the cave, and she longed for the pistol he had taken from her, and which she had since tried to wheedle from him, but to no purpose. On the night of the third day she thought she heard voices, but when she looked out into the larger cave there was no sign of anyone. Still she felt almost sure that Trant had had a visitor, and that the visitor had been Pompo, the half-caste.
Her suspicion became certainty on the following morning. It was her habit to remain in her cell, taking no breakfast, and only coming out at mid-day. She had kept her watch wound up and knew the hours. Otherwise there was little except the rising and drooping of the sun behind the walls of her prison to mark how the time sped. To-day Trant came to her cell and pushed aside the blanket which she had propped up with sticks against the entrance.
"Elsie," he said, "come out. I have something to say to you."
She obeyed him. His face had a grim determined look. She felt sure that some crisis had arrived. His eyes were flaming, and his whole manner showed that he had reached his limit of patience.
"Elsie," he said, "I can bear this no longer. I have been your humble slave for three days. Now I will be your master."
"Sit here," he said, and pointed to the settle in the larger cave.
"No," she exclaimed, "I will hear what you have to say outside."
