lant child.
He remained seated and pushed the Stetson toward the back of his head.
"She really believes it. Don't hold it against her. It is not her
fault. When the smoke has cleared away and she gets her bearings,
we're all going to like her. In fact, I'm thinking that the time is
coming when the only one who will hate her will be herself. I like her
now; though she is not what you'd call my friend. I mean--not yet."

Corporal Ripley gazed in astonishment at MacNair and then very frigidly
he turned to Chloe. "Then the charge of murder stands?"

"Yes, it does," answered the girl. "If he were allowed to go free now
there would be three murders instead of two by the time of the spring
assizes or whatever you call them, for he is even now upon the trail of
a man he has threatened to kill. I can give you his exact words. He
said: 'I have taken the man-trail . . . and at the end of that trail
will lie a dead man--myself or Pierre Lapierre!'"

"Lapierre!" exclaimed the officer. "What has he got to do with it?"
He turned to MacNair as if expecting an answer. But MacNair remained
silent. "Why don't you charge Lapierre with the crimes you told me he
was guilty of?" taunted the girl. Again she saw that baffling twinkle
in the grey eyes of the man. Then the eyes hardened.

"The last thing I desire is the arrest of Lapierre," he answered.
"Lapierre must answer to me." The words, pronounced slowly and
distinctly, rasped hard. In spite of herself, Chloe shuddered.

Corporal Ripley shifted uneasily. "We'd better be going, MacNair," he
said. "There's something queer about this whole business--something I
don't quite understand. It's up to me to take you up the river; but,
believe me, I'm coming back! I'll get at the bottom of this thing if
it takes me five years. Are you ready?"

MacNair nodded.

"I can let you have some Indians," suggested the girl.

"What for?"

"Why, for a guard, of course; to help you with your prisoner."

Ripley drew himself up and answered abruptly: "The Mounted is quite
capable of managing its own affairs, Miss Elliston. I don't need your
Indians, thank you."

Chloe glanced wrathfully into the boyish face of the officer. "Suit
yourself," she answered sweetly. "But if I were you, I'd want a whole
regiment of Indians. Because if MacNair wants to, he'll eat you up."

"He won't want to," snapped Ripley. "I don't taste good."

As they passed out of the door, MacNair turned.