scared."

"Well, who _is_ goin' to?" she inquired, letting her glance sweep
rapidly over the stalwart forms that surrounded her. A shrewd observer
might have noted that her eyes shyly avoided one figure, that stood a
little apart from the rest,--the figure of a strongly-built man of
medium size, who looked small among his large-moulded fellows. As for
Jim Reddin, who was watching the girl's every movement, his heart
tightened with a bitter pang as her eyes thus seemed to pass him over.
Having, for all his forty years, a plentiful lack of knowledge of the
feminine heart and its methods, he imagined himself ignored. And yet had
he not Laurette's promise that none other than he should have the
privilege of driving her home to the settlements that afternoon?

"That's what we're just a-goin' to decide," said McElvey, in answer to
Laurette's question. "But first," he continued, with a sly chuckle,
"hadn't you better pick out the feller that's goin' to drive you home,
sis? We're goin' to be powerful well occupied, all hands, when we git a
start on them logs, I tell you!"

At this suggestion a huge young woodsman who was standing behind some of
the others, out of Laurette's range of vision, started eagerly forward.
Bill Goodine was acknowledged to be the best-looking man on the Big
Aspohegan,--an opinion in which he himself most heartily concurred. He
was also noted as a wrestler and fighter. He was an ardent admirer of
Laurette; but his passion had not taught him any humility, and he felt
confident that in order to gain the coveted honor of driving the girl
home he had nothing to do but apply for it. He felt that it would hardly
be the "square thing" to put Laurette to the embarrassment of inviting
him right there before all the hands. Before he could catch her eye,
however, Laurette had spoken what surely the devil of coquetry must have
whispered in her ear. Undoubtedly, she had promised Jim Reddin that he
should drive her home. But "let him show that he appreciates the favor,"
she thought to herself; and aloud, with a toss of her head, she
exclaimed, "I'll take the one that cuts out the logs,--if he wants to
come!"

The effect of this speech was instantaneous. Fully half the hands
stepped forward, exclaiming, "I'll do it!--I'll do it, boss!--I'm your
man, Mr. McElvey!" But Bill Goodine sprang to the front with a vigor
that brushed aside all in his path. Thrusting himself in front of the
laughing McElvey, he shouted, "I