a fourth,
the grizzled frontiersman, starting forward with a yell.

"Let me go!" cried Nell.

Just when the teamster had pulled her close to him, and was bending
his red, moist face to hers, two brown, sinewy hands grasped his
neck with an angry clutch. Deprived thus of breath, his mouth
opened, his tongue protruded; his eyes seemed starting from their
sockets, and his arms beat the air. Then he was lifted and flung
with a crash against the cabin wall. Falling, he lay in a heap on
the grass, while the blood flowed from a cut on his temple.

"What's this?" cried a man, authoritatively. He had come swiftly up,
and arrived at the scene where stood the grizzled frontiersman.

"It was purty handy, Wentz. I couldn't hev' did better myself, and I
was comin' for that purpose," said the frontiersman. "Leffler was
tryin' to kiss the lass. He's been drunk fer two days. That little
girl's sweetheart kin handle himself some, now you take my word on
it."

"I'll agree Leff's bad when he's drinkin'," answered the fur-trader,
and to Joe he added, "He's liable to look you up when he comes
around."

"Tell him if I am here when he gets sober, I'll kill him," Joe cried
in a sharp voice. His gaze rested once more on the fallen teamster,
and again an odd contraction of his eyes was noticeable. The glance
was cutting, as if with the flash of cold gray steel. "Nell, I'm
sorry I wasn't round sooner," he said, apologetically, as if it was
owing to his neglect the affair had happened.

As they entered the cabin Nell stole a glance at him. This was the
third time he had injured a man because of her. She had on several
occasions seen that cold, steely glare in his eyes, and it had
always frightened her. It was gone, however, before they were inside
the building. He said something which she did not hear distinctly,
and his calm voice allayed her excitement. She had been angry with
him; but now she realized that her resentment had disappeared. He
had spoken so kindly after the outburst. Had he not shown that he
considered himself her protector and lover? A strange emotion, sweet
and subtle as the taste of wine, thrilled her, while a sense of fear
because of his strength was mingled with her pride in it. Any other
girl would have been only too glad to have such a champion; she
would, too, hereafter, for he was a man of whom to be proud.

"Look here, Nell, you haven't spoken to me," Joe cried suddenly,
seeming to understand that she had not