r to interfere. Your Indian is in
such a crisis a disciplinarian, and he had received no orders.

"Now," said Ned Trent, acidly, "I think this will stop right here. You
do not cut a very good figure, my dear sir," he laughed a little.
"You haven't cut a very good figure from the beginning, you know. You
forbade me to do various things, and I have done them all. I traded
with your Indians. I came and went in your country. Do you think I
have not been here often before I was caught? And you forbade me to
see your daughter again. I saw her that very evening, and the next
morning and the next evening."

He stood, still holding Galen Albret immovably in the chair, looking
steadily and angrily into the Factor's eyes, driving each word home
with the weight of his contained passion. The girl touched his arm.

"Hush! oh, hush!" she cried in a panic. "Do not anger him further!"

"When you forbade me to make love to her," he continued, unheeding, "I
laughed at you." With a sudden, swift motion of his left arm he drew
her to him and touched her forehead with his lips. "Look! Your
commands have been rather ridiculous, sir. I seem to have had the
upper hand of you from first to last. Incidentally you have my life.
Oh, welcome! That is small pay and little satisfaction."

He threw himself from the Factor and stepped back.

Galen Albret sat still without attempting to renew the struggle. The
enforced few moments of inaction had restored to him his self-control.
He was still deeply angered, but the insanity of rage had left him.
Outwardly he was himself again. Only a rapid heaving of his chest
answered Ned Trent's quick breathing, as the two men glared defiantly
at each other in the pause that followed.

"Very well, sir," said the Factor, curtly, at last. "Your time is
over. I find it unnecessary to hang you. You will start on your
_Longue Traverse_ to-day."

"Oh!" cried Virginia, in a low voice of agony, and fluttered to her
lover's side.

"Hush! hush!" he soothed her. "There is a chance."

"You think so?" broke in Galen Albret, harshly. And looking at his set
face and blazing eyes, they saw that there was no chance. The Free
Trader shrugged his shoulders.

"You are going to do this thing, father," appealed Virginia, "after
what I have told you?"

"My mind is made up."

"I shall not survive him, father!" she threatened, in a low voice.
Then, as the Factor did not respond, "Do not misunderstand me. I do
not intend to su