, through his clenched teeth.

"Knives."

And then again silence reigned.

CHAPTER X.

THE BATTLE IN THE WILD

The woman shrank back. The last trace of levity had vanished from her
eyes. Their blue depths gazed out upon the strange scene with horror and
dread. In that moment she understood the power she had wielded with
these two men, and a thrill of regret shook her frame. She saw in the
eyes of both the cruel purpose which was in their hearts. It was death
for one of them. Even in that moment of suspense, she found herself
speculating which of them it would be.

There was no sentiment in her thoughts. These two were nothing to her.
She would regret the death of either as she would regret the death of
any strong, healthy man; but that was all. Her horror was a natural
revulsion at the prospect of seeing death dealt out in the ruthless
manner that these men contemplated.

Just for one instant the desire to stay the combatants rose uppermost in
her mind. She stepped forward again and raised a protesting hand.

"Are you brothers or wolves of the forest that you'd kill each other? If
you fight for Aim-sa, she'll have neither of you."

Her words rang out clear and incisive. In her excitement she had
forgotten the halting phrases of the White Squaw, and spoke fluently
enough. Nick was ominously silent. Ralph answered her.

"Stand back, an' remember ye're the squaw of him as wins ye in fair
fight."

Then he cried out to his brother:

"Are ye ready?"

Nick made no audible reply. His face looked the words his lips did not
frame. He was ready, and the passion in him was more than willing. Once,
before he closed with his opponent, he glanced round at Aim-sa. It may
have been that he sought one look of encouragement, one smile; it may
have been. But the beautiful face he looked upon had no smile for
either. It was dead white under its tanning, and the blue eyes were
widely staring. Ralph did not take his eyes from his brother's face, and
the fierce light in them was as the gleam in the eyes of the timber-wolf
prowling at night around a camp-fire in the forest.

For a moment a heavy cloud spread itself over the face of the sun, and
the grey daylight of winter again covered the mountains. Instantly the
forest lost its look of spring, and the air returned to the chill of the
darker months. The bald break in the forest looked more cheerless than a
waste ground in a city, and those who stood about to fight for