irl. She was all gentleness and obedience to her
husband except in matters of what she considered right and wrong, and
here she was immovable. She had always believed in Caleb, even after
the row, and had not hesitated to make known her belief.

"There ain't much to tell," replied Caleb bitterly. "He done me on
that Horse-trade, an' crowded me on my note so I had to pay it off
with oats at sixty cents, then he turned round and sold them within
half an hour for seventy-five cents. We had words right there, an' I
believe I did say I'd fix him for it. I left Downey's Dump early that
day. He had about $300 in his pocket--$300 of my money--the last I had
in the world. He was too late to bank it, so was taking it home, when
he was fired at in going through the 'green bush'. My tobacco pouch
and some letters addressed to me was found there in the morning.
Course he blamed me, but I didn't have any shootin'-iron then; my
revolver, the white one, was stole from me a week before--along with
them same letters, I expect. I consider they was put there to lay the
blame on me, an' it was a little overdone, most folks would think.
Well, then your Da set Dick Pogue on me, an' I lost my farm--that's
all."

Sam smoked gravely for awhile, then continued:

"That's true about the note an' the oats an' the Horse-trade--just
what Da would do; that's all in the game: but you're all wrong about
Dick Pogue--that's too dirty for Da."

"_You_ may think so, but _I don't_."

Sam made no answer, but after a minute laid his hand on Turk, who
responded with a low growl. This made Caleb continue: "Down on me,
down on my Dog. Pogue says he kills Sheep 'an' every one is ready to
believe it. I never knowed a Hound turn Sheep-killer, an' I never
knowed a Sheep-killer kill at home, an' I never knowed a Sheep-killer
content with one each night, an' I never knowed a Sheep-killer leave
no tracks, an' Sheep was killed again and again when Turk was locked
up in the shanty with me."

"Well, whose Dog is it does it?"

"I don't know as it's any Dog, for part of the Sheep was eat each
time, they say, though I never seen one o' them that was killed or I
could tell. It's more likely a Fox or a Lynx than a Dog."

There was a long silence, then outside again the hair-lifting screech
to which the Dog paid no heed, although the Trapper and the boy were
evidently startled and scared.

They made up a blazing fire and turned in silently for the night.

The rain ca