again. Then Garth picked up
his gun and strode toward Mabyn.

The man waited for him with an air oddly mixed of fear and bravado.
As Garth came close he smiled in a way that he intended to be
ingratiating--but Mabyn's smile only rendered him more hideous.
Garth's first look made sure that both his hands were empty.

"Is there anything I can do?" Mabyn asked with apparent solicitude.

"Yes, keep away from here," returned Garth curtly. "If I catch you
within a hundred yards of my camp, I'll wing you so you won't move again
as long as we're here."

Mabyn assumed an aggrieved expression. "You needn't take that tone," he
grumbled. "I came in friendliness. I want to have a talk with you."

"I'm listening," said Garth.

Mabyn twisted uneasily. "Damn it! How can a man make friendly advances
when you're standing over him with a gun!" he said.

"Say what you've got to say, or clear out," said Garth.

The aggrieved air proving ineffectual, Mabyn substituted offended
silence; offered to go; and came back. "Well, look here!" he said at
last. "This is it. Here are the three of us up here----"

"Four," amended Garth.

"Well, four if you like," said Mabyn. "We're stuck here together. We
can't afford to quarrel. We've got to have some working agreement."

"Is that all?" said Garth uncompromisingly.

Mabyn looked around with the air of a much-tried man, appealing to the
bystanders--that they were only indifferent trees, rather spoiled the
effect. "I wouldn't take this from any man if it wasn't that I was bent
on avoiding trouble," he blustered.

Garth suppressed the scornful inclination to laugh.

"Look here," began Mabyn afresh, with a reasonable air. "I came to offer
you the shack for Natalie. She can't sleep in the open in her condition."

"Much obliged," said Garth coolly. "I intended to take it in the first
place. But Miss Bland refused to allow herself to be carried there."

Mabyn's eyes bolted. His control over his facial muscles was imperfect;
and the struggle between the open character he desired to convey, and
the secret feelings that tortured him, was plain. "What are you going
to do?" he asked.

"Build her a house," said Garth.

Mabyn, turning his back, appeared to be considering.

"Is that all you have to say?" asked Garth.

The other turned a face of obstinate friendliness and good will. "Look
here--" he began all over. "I don't know your name----"

Garth informed him.

"Well, Pevensey, I'm sorry