let her go, saying that she was a most necessary
person to his camp, since his fight was with her father. The
following day, the party of four, herself, Seguis, and the French
and Indian trappers, had started back to Sturgeon Lake. She received
every attention and kindness from all of them. In fact, it was this
that precipitated the trouble, for the Frenchman and the Indian
sought her favor continually, and became insanely jealous of each
other, although she treated both with coldest courtesy.

One night, when they stopped to make camp, matters came to a head.
The sledge had not yet been unloaded, when the trappers got into
a violent argument, and, without warning, drew their knives and
went at each other. Jean screamed, and Charley Seguis leaped in to
prevent bloodshed... Then, the girl saw her opportunity, and seized
it. She was still sitting on the sledge. With a shrill cry and a
crack of the whip that lay under her hand, she started the dogs
off on a gallop. Instantly, all personalities were forgotten and
the three men gave hot chase. But, coming to a river-bed, the girl
soon lost her pursuers in the distance, and, after traveling all
night, struck across country in the general direction of Fort
Severn. What had become of the three men without supplies, she did
not know, but she supposed they had returned to Sturgeon Lake, as
they could have done easily.

Then, Donald told his story briefly, and, when he had finished,
they looked mournfully at each other.

"Dearest," said the captain boldly, "here's the situation: The
supplies are in the river. Maybe, we can rescue some of the cooking
utensils; but I doubt it. There's a cabin a mile from here that we
can live in for the present. There's no food but fish, for we
haven't any gun or ammunition, unless--"

"No!" She shook her head. "They took the guns off the sledge before
I ran away with it."

"We haven't anything to start on, dearest"--Donald grinned
amiably--"except our knowledge and our nerve. We have got to carve
existence out of this." He included the surrounding desolation with
a sweep of his arm. "If this were only a desert island now, how
easy everything would be!"

"You've forgotten one thing we have," remarked Jean with twinkling
eyes.

"What's that?

"Each other, stupid!" ... But ere long she regretted the words.

CHAPTER XIV

A FRIGID IDYL

Arrived back at the little shanty, they set about their housekeeping
at once. The situation mi