I--"

"Ba'teese choose his guests."

"You mean--"

"Ba'teese mean what he say."

"Very well, then. Come on, Medaine."

The girl, apparently without a thought of the air of proprietorship in
the man's tone, rose, only to face Ba'tiste. The Canadian glowered at
her.

"And are you chattel?" he stormed. "Do you stand in the cup of his
hand that he shall tell you when to rise and when to sit, when to walk
and where to go?"

She turned.

"You were abrupt, Fred. I'm glad Ba'tiste reminded me. Personally, I
don't see why I should have been drawn into this at all, or why I
should be made the butt of a quarrel over some one I never saw before."

"I'm sorry--terribly sorry." Barry was speaking earnestly and holding
forth his hand. "I shouldn't have answered you that way--I'm--"

"We'll forget it all." A flashing smile had crossed the girl's lips.
"Fred never knows how to take Ba'tiste. They're always quarreling this
way. The only trouble is that Fred--" and she turned to face him
piquantly--"always takes in the whole world when he gets mad. And that
includes me. I think," and the little nose took a more upward turn
than ever, "that Ba'tiste is entirely right, Fred. You talked to me as
though I were a sack of potatoes. I won't go with you, and I won't see
you until you can apologize."

"There's nothing to apologize for!"

Thayer jammed on his hat and stamped angrily out the door. Medaine
watched him with laughing eyes.

"He'll write me a letter to-night," came quietly. Then, "Lost Wing!"

"Ugh!" It was a grunt from outside.

"I just wanted to be sure you were there. Call me when Mr. Thayer has
passed the ridge."

"Ugh!"

Medaine turned again to Ba'tiste, a childish appearance of confidence
in her eyes, her hand lingering on the chair by the bed.

"Were you really fooling, Ba'tiste--or shall we continue?"

"Perhaps--" the twinkle still shone in the old man's eyes--"but not
now. Perhaps--sometime. So mebbe sometime you--"

"Wah--hah--hai-i-e-e-e!" The Sioux had called from without. Medaine
turned.

"When you need me, Ba'tiste," she answered, with a smile that took in
also the eager face on the bed, "I'll be glad to help you. Good-by."

That too included Barry, and he answered it with alacrity. Then for a
moment after she had gone, he lay scowling at Ba'tiste, who once more,
in a weakened state of merriment, had reeled to the wall, followed as
usual by his dog, and leaned there,