f the
White Squaw, although the change in their attitude was unheeded by their
masters.

The antagonism of the men was no longer masked by sullen silence. It
broke out into open hostility almost the moment their loss was
discovered, and it took the form of bickering and mutual reprisal. Nick
laid the charge of her departure at Ralph's door. Applying all the most
unreasonable arguments in support of his belief. Ralph retaliated with a
countercharge, declaring that Nick had caused her flight by thrusting
his unwelcome attentions upon her. And every word they uttered on the
subject added fuel to the fire of their hatred, and often they were
driven to the verge of blows.

Nick had no reason in him; and, in his anger, Ralph was little better.
But where a certain calmness came to the latter when away from his
brother, Nick continued to fume with his mind ever set upon what he
regarded as only _his_ loss. Thus it came that Ralph saw ahead,
hazily it is true, but he saw that the time had come when they must
part. It was impossible for them to continue to shelter under the same
roof, the roof which had covered them since the days of their earliest
recollections.

But though he saw this necessity, he did not broach the subject, for,
like his brother, he looked forward to the abatement of the storm so
that he might set out in search of the lost one. Besides, he felt that
until Aim-sa was found he could not part from Nick. Even in his hatred
for his brother, even in his calmest moments, jealousy supervened. Were
they to part, Nick might be the one to find her, and then--No, they must
wait till the storm had passed, afterwards it would be time to act.
Meanwhile, by tacit consent, they continued to live in the lean-to,
reserving the dugout for the object of their love, against her return.

At length the weather cleared. The search began at once. Each day they
set out for the forest and hills with hope buoying their hearts; and
each night they returned with downcast looks, despair in their hearts,
and with their brooding anger against each other a dark flame leaping
within them.

Sometimes, in stolen moments, they visited the place Aim-sa had lived
in. Every day Ralph would clean up the dugout and leave it ready for the
White Squaw's occupation when she returned. Every article of furniture
had its allotted place, the place which she had selected. With the
utmost deliberation he would order everything, and never had their
mounta