Page:Curwood--The Courage of Captain Plum.djvu/142

 "Obadiah told you nothing?" he asked again, as if still unbelieving.

"Nothing."

"And you have not seen Marion—to talk with her?"

"No."

Nathaniel had dropped his companion's hand, and now Neil walked to the log and sat down with his face turned in the direction from which their pursuers must come if they entered the swamp.

Suddenly the memory of Obadiah's note shot into Nathaniel's head, the councilor's admonition, his allusion to a visitor. With this memory there recurred to him Obadiah's words at the temple, "If you had remained at the cabin, Nat, you would have known that I was your friend. She would have come to you, but now—it is impossible." For the first time the truth began to dawn upon him. He went and sat down beside Neil.

"I am beginning to understand—a little,"