y. "Nothing a-tall. I merely had
her horsewhipped. You wouldn't think any girl would object to that,
would you?"

"I'd like to hear the right of it. How did it happen?"

"The devil was in me, I reckon. We were runnin' across the line that
consignment of whiskey you found and destroyed near Whoop-Up. She came
on our camp one night, crept up, and smashed some barrels. I caught
her. She fought like a wild-cat." Morse pulled up the sleeve of his
coat and showed a long, ragged scar on the arm. "Gave me that as a
lil' souvenir to remember her by. You see, she was afraid I'd take her
back to camp. So she fought. You know West. I wouldn't have taken her
to him."

"What did you do?"

"After I got her down, we came to terms. I was to take her to McRae's
camp and she was to be horsewhipped by him. My arm was hurtin' like
sin, and I was thinkin' her only a wild young Injun."

"So you took her home?"

"And McRae flogged her. You know him. He's Scotch--and thorough. It
was a sickening business. When he got through, he was white as snow. I
felt like a murderer. D'you wonder she hates me?"

Beresford's smile was winning. "Is it because she hates you that she
wants you to come to supper to-night?"

"It's because she's in debt to me--or thinks she is, for of course she
isn't--and wants to pay it and get rid of it as soon as she can. I
tell you, Win, she couldn't bear to touch my hand when she gave me the
key to the storehouse the other night--laid it down on the table for
me to pick up. It has actually become physical with her. She'd shudder
if I touched her. I'm not going to supper there. Why should I take
advantage of a hold I have on her generosity? No, I'll not go."

And from that position Beresford could not move him.

After supper the constable found a chance to see Jessie alone. She was
working over the last touches of the gun-case.

"When it's finished who gets it?" he asked, sitting down gracefully on
the arm of a big chair.

She flashed a teasing glance at him. "Who do you think deserves it?"

"I deserve it," he assured her at once. "But it isn't the deserving
always who get the rewards in this world. Very likely you'll give it
to some chap like Tom Morse."

"Who wouldn't come to supper when we asked him." She lifted steady,
inquiring eyes. "What was the real reason he didn't come?"

"Said he couldn't get away from the store because--"

"Yes, I heard that. I'm asking for the real reason, Win."

He gave it.