ride and joy to her mother heart. Even the
wolverine had some wicked-eyed little cubs that, to her, were precious
beyond rubies; but which would ultimately receive all the oaths in the
language for stealing bait on the trap lines out from the settlements.

Beatrice, a woods creature herself, knew the stir and thrill of spring;
but there were also more personal, more deeply hidden reasons why she
was happy to-day. She was certainly a very girlish-girl in most ways,
with even more than the usual allowance of romance and sentiment, and
the idea of an all-day picnic with this stalwart forester went straight
home to her imagination. She had been tremendously impressed with him
from the first, and the day's ride out from Snowy Gulch had brought him
very close to her indeed. And what might not the day bring forth! What
mystery and wonder might come to pass!

Her dark eyes were lustrous, and the haunting sadness they often held
was quite gone. Her face was faintly flushed, her red lips wistful,
every motion eager and happy as a child's. But Ben looked at her
unmoved.

Coldly his eye leaped over her supple, slender form. He saw with relief
that she was stoutly clad in middy and skirt of wool, wool stockings,
and solid little boots. The heavy coat she had brought was not
particularly noteworthy in these woods, but it would have drawn instant
admiration from knowing people of a great city. It was not cut with
particular style, neither was it beautifully lined, but the fabric
itself was plucked otter,--the dark, well-wearing fur of many lights and
of matchless luster and beauty.

"For goodness sake, Mr. Darby," the girl cried. "What have you got in
this boat? Surely that isn't just the lunch--" She pointed to the pile
of supplies, covered by the blankets, in the center of the craft.

"It looks like we had enough to stay a month, doesn't it?" he laughed.
"There's blankets there, of course--for table cloths and to make us
comfortable--and the lunch, and a pillow or two--and some little
surprises. The rest is just some stores that I'm going to take this
opportunity to put across the river--to my next camp. Now, Miss
Neilson--if you'll take the seat in the bow. Fenris is going to ride in
the middle--"

The girl's eyes fell with some apprehension on the shaggy wolf. "I
haven't established very friendly relations with Fenris--"

"I'd leave him at home, but he won't stand for it. Besides I'd like to
teach him how to retrieve grous