omen were as strange to him as
the wild sea is strange to the Arab.

He hunted his mind, and then: "One of the boys has angered you, Jack?"

And she said, because she could think of no way to cover the confusion
which came to her after the outbreak: "Yes."

He dropped her arms and strode a pace or two up and down the room.

"Gandil?"

"N-no!"

"You're lying. It was Gandil."

And he made straight for the door.

She ran after him and flung herself between him and the door. Clearly,
as if it were a painted picture, she saw him facing Gandil--saw their
hands leap for the guns--saw Gandil pitch face forward on the
floor--writhe all his limbs--and then lie still. "Pierre--for God's
sake!"

Her terror convinced him partially, and the furor went back from his
eyes as a light goes back in a long, dark hall.

"On your honor, Jack, it's not Gandil?"

"On my honor."

"But some one has broken you up."

"No, I--"

"Don't lie. Why, even while you look at me your color changes. You're
pale one minute and red the next. Some one has crossed you, Jack. And
whoever crosses you crosses me, by God! Out with his name! Is it
Branch?"

"No."

"Then it's big Patterson."

"No."

"I have it! Mansie! There's always something of the sneak about him
that I never liked."

"No, no!"

"It is! He came up to you and whispered some dog's remark for you to
hear. Damn him--I never trusted Mansie!"

He pushed her away from the door and set his hand on the knob, but he
could not keep her back. She was upon him again and twisted between
him and the entrance to the room.

"Pierre, upon my honor, it was none of these men."

He could not help but believe.

"Only Wilbur is left. Jack, I'd rather raise my hand against myself
than to harm Dick, but if--"

"I'll never tell you who it was. Don't you see? It would be like a
murder in cold blood if I were to send you after him."

"But he's here--he's one of us, this man who's bothered you."

She could not help but answer: "Yes."

He scowled down at the floor.

"You would never be able to guess who it is. Give it up. After all--I
can live through it--I guess."

"It's something that has saddened you. Do you know, we've been so much
together that I can almost read your mind, in a way. Why are you
smiling?"

"I wish that you could read it--Pierre--at times."

He took her face between his hands and frowned down into her eyes. At
his touch she grew very pale