nt
for a little while of the things these people do not know--a little while,
and then I can tell you who it is I am shielding, but not yet."

"Him!" and the eyes of the Indian turned to the paralytic.

"No--not him; truly not," she said, earnestly. "It is some one you would
want to help if you knew--some one who is going fast on the path from
these people. They will learn soon it is not I; but till then, keep
silence."

"Dan--where?" he asked, laconically, and her face paled at the question.

Had he any reason to suspect the dread in her own mind? But a moment's
thought reassured her. He had asked simply because Overton seemed always
to him the controlling spirit of the camp, and Overton was the one he
would have speech with, if any.

"Overton left last night for the lake," explained Lyster, who had entered
and heard the name of Dan and the interrogative tone. Then the blanket was
brought to Akkomi--his blanket, in which the man had died.

"I sold it to the white man--that is all," he answered through 'Tana; and
more than that he would not say except to inform them he would wait for
Dan. Which was, in fact, the general desire of the committee organized to
investigate.

They all appeared to be waiting for Dan. Lyster did not by any means fill
his place, simply because Lyster's interest in 'Tana was too apparent, and
there was little of the cool quality of reason in his attitude toward the
mysterious case. He did not believe the ring she wore had belonged to
Holly, though she refused to tell the source from which it had reached
her. He did not believe the man who said he heard that war of words at her
cabin in the evening--at least, when others were about, he acted as if he
did not believe it. But when he and 'Tana chanced to be alone, she felt
the doubt there must be in his mind, and a regret for him touched her. For
his sake she was sorry, but not sorry enough to clear the mystery at the
expense of that other man she thought she was shielding.

Captain Leek had been dispatched with all speed to the lake works, that
Seldon, Haydon, and Overton might be informed of the trouble in camp, and
hasten back to settle it. To send for them was the only thing Lyster
thought of doing, for he himself felt powerless against the lot of men,
who were not harsh or rude in any way, but who simply wanted to know
"why"--so many "whys" that he could not answer.

Not less trying to him were the several who persisted in asserting th