t blank. The smile was
fixed in astonishment; Rina was unperturbed.

"What do you want?" he demanded, picking up his gun.

"I got no gun," she said, indifferently, exhibiting her empty hands.
"Nick Grylls, him send you letter."

Garth reflected that by letting her in, he stood the chance of getting
much useful information; so bidding Natalie stay in her own room, he
opened the door.

Rina handed him the note from Grylls. It was scribbled in a small,
crabbed hand on the back of a business letter. On the other side Garth
had a glimpse of the time-honoured formula: "_Dear Sir: Yours of the
first instant to hand, and contents noted. In reply we beg to say_----"
It gave him a queer, incongruous start: outside, it seemed, people still
went to and from their offices, absorbed in their inconsequential
affairs--while here in the woods he was fighting for his life, and
Natalie's honour!

"Where is _she_?" Rina asked--she had never referred to Natalie by name.
"I will fix her hair for her if she want," she added humbly enough.

Natalie immediately came forward, offering her hand. Rina clung to it
without speaking, turning away her head to hide welling tears.

"Where did you meet these people?" Garth asked her.

"On the prairie," she answered, low-voiced. "Yesterday, noon spell. They
coming this way. Nick Grylls, him mak' moch friend with 'Erbe't, and
'Erbe't, him glad. Nick Grylls big man, rich man, everybody lak to be
friend with him. Nick Grylls say him come to help 'Erbe't. Him give
'Erbe't ver' fine gun."

"Humph! Mabyn will pay dear for it!" Garth exclaimed.

"I say so him," Rina said eagerly. "Me, I tell 'Erbe't everybody see
Nick Grylls him jus' mak' a fool of you. What he want with you? He want
her for himself. 'Erbe't on'y laugh. 'E say--" Rina's voice sunk very
low--"'Let him help me get her, and I'll keep her, all right!'"

Garth frowned and clenched his fists. His gorge rose intolerably, at the
thought of this precious pair contending which was to have Natalie.

Rina went on: "Nick Grylls say to 'Erbe't, mustn't let her get out of
the country. He say 'If she go out she divorce you.'" Rina pronounced
the word strangely. "Nick Grylls say he know a place to tak' her all
winter, Northwest, many days to Death River, where no white man ever go
before. Him think I not hear what he say."

This was valuable information indeed.

Garth opened the letter. It was a curious document, for while the
thoughts were like