“Two days after I left. I found you gone, but knew you must come back, because some of the gear was here.” She hesitated. “Did—did you go after—him?”

He nodded grimly, and she gave a little cry of terror.

“You—you found him?”

He nodded affirmatively.

“And then——?”

“I found him dying from a bad injury.”

“Dying——?”

“Yes. He’s dead now.”

She turned on him with horrified eyes.

“You—you didn’t kill him?”