beast? That's what
I'm afraid of. But I'd like to let you know before I have to put up the
big fight for you. And it's coming--if they've got Bram. They'll break
down the gate to-night, or burn it, and with the wolves out of the way
they'll rush the cabin. And then--"

Slowly he drew his arm from her, and something of the reaction of his
thoughts must have betrayed itself in the look that came into his face.

"I guess I've already pulled off a rotten deal on the other fellow," he
said, turning to the window. "That is, if you belong to him. And if you
didn't why would you stand there with your arms about his neck and he
hugging you up like that!"

A few minutes before he had crumpled the picture in his hand and
dropped it on the floor. He picked it up now and mechanically smoothed
it out as he made his observation, through the window. The pack had
returned to the stockade. By the aimless manner in which they had
scattered he concluded that for the time at least their mysterious
enemies had drawn away from the corral.

Celie had not moved. She was watching him earnestly. It seemed to him,
as he went to her with the picture, that a new and anxious questioning
had come into her eyes. It was as if she had discovered something in
him which she had not observed before, something which she was trying
to analyze even as he approached her. He felt for the first time a
sense of embarrassment. Was it possible that she had comprehended some
word or thought of what he had expressed to her? He could not believe
it And yet, a woman's intuition--

He held out the picture. Celie took it and for a space looked at it
steadily without raising her eyes to meet his. When she did look at him
the blue in her eyes was so wonderful and deep and the soul that looked
out of them was so clear to his own vision that the shame of that
moment's hypocrisy when he had stood with his arm about her submerged
him completely. If she had not understood him she at least HAD GUESSED.

"Min fader," she said quietly, with the tip of her little forefinger on
the man in the picture. "Min fader."

For a moment he thought she had spoken in English.

"Your--your father?" he cried.

She nodded.

"Oo-ee-min fader!"

"Thank the Lord," gasped Philip. And then he suddenly added, "Celie,
have you any more cartridges for this pop-gun? I feel like licking the
world!"

CHAPTER XIV

He tried to hide his jubilation as he talked of more cartridges. He
fo