mnation the next out of heavy eyes at Austin. But the wiry little
woman had the floor, and meant, for peace sake, to keep it a few
moments.

"At home, in the streets of London, I have been rudely spoken to; I
have been greatly annoyed in Paris; in New York I have been subject to
humorous impertinence; but in the great North-West every man has seemed
to be my friend. In fact, wherever our English tongue is spoken," she
wound up calmly, putting the great Austin in his place, "a woman may go
alone."

Austin seemed absorbed in filling his pipe. The lady tripped on to the
next claim with a sedate "Good-night" to the men on No. 0. She thought
the momentary trouble past, and never turned to see how the Kentuckian,
waiting till she should be out of earshot, came round in front of
Austin with a low question.

The gang watched the Boy dodge under the sluice and hobble hurriedly
over the chaos of stones towards the owner. Before he reached him he
called breathless, but trying to laugh:

"You think the Colonel's played out, but, take my word for it, he ain't
a man to fool with."

The gang knew from Austin's sneering look as he turned to strike a
match on a boulder--they knew as well as if they'd been within a yard
of him that Scowl had said something "pretty mean." They saw the
Colonel make a plunge, and they saw him reel and fall among the stones.

The owner stood there smoking while the night gang knocked off work
under his nose and helped the Boy to get the Colonel on his feet. It
was no use. Either he had struck his head or he was dazed--unable, at
all events, to stand. They lifted him up and started for the big tent.

Three Indians accosted the cripple leading the procession. He started,
and raised his eyes. "Nicholas! Muckluck!" They shook hands, and all
went on together, the Boy saying the Colonel had a little sunstroke.

* * * * *

The next day Scowl Austin was found lying face down among the
cotton-woods above the benches on Skookum, a bullet-wound in his back.
He had fainted from loss of blood, when he was picked up by the two
Vermonters, the men who had twice gone by No. 0 the night before the
quarrel, and who had enraged Austin by stopping an instant during the
clean-up to look at his gold. They carried him back to Bonanza.

The Superintendent and several of the day gang got the wounded man into
bed. He revived sufficiently to say he had not seen the man that shot
him, but he gu