were such a fine, well-dressed, immaculate mound of
conceit that I couldn't resist the temptation, and you hid your
condescension so poorly that I thought you ought to be taken down a
peg. I knew I was a squaw, but I wanted to see if I were not like other
women, after all, and if you were not like other men." She was talking
rapidly now, almost shrilly, for she had never attempted to act before,
while he stood dazed and speechless, fumbling at his throat while she
railed at him. "You needn't waste time debating whether I'm good enough
for you, because I'm not--decidedly, I'm not your kind, and you are a
joke to me."

He uttered an inarticulate cry, but she ran on unheeding, her eyes wide
and glowing like coals, her lips chalk-white. "You see, it's time I
stopped such foolishness, anyhow, for I'm to be married on Sunday."

"You are going to be married?" he muttered, laboriously.

"Yes, to Poleon. Why, that's been understood for years."

He whirled upon the Canadian in a fury, and his words came hot and
tumbling.

"So you're in this, Doret. You're a part of this little farce. You
trapped me here to make a fool of me, did you? Well, I can settle with
you--"

"D-don't blame him!" cried the girl, hysterically. "It is all my doing.
He had no part in it."

Burrell wheeled back to the Frenchman again. "Is this true?"

"Yes," said Doret, in a restrained voice. "Dis ain' no work of mine."

"You're a liar!" breathed the Kentuckian, now fairly wild with anger;
but the other looked him squarely between the eyes and made no move.

"M'sieu'," he cried, "I'm livin' t'orty year, an' never took no nam'
lak' dat before, but dere's reason here w'y I can't mak' no answer." He
inclined his head towards the girl, and before Burrell could break out
again he checked him.

"It's no good mak' fight wit' lesser dan two people. You've tol' me dat
you are gentleman. Wal, I ain' nobody but trapper an' trader, but I
don' spoil de name of no good girl, an' I don' quarrel in presence of
lady, so mebbe, affer all, dere's mistak' somew'ere, an' I'm gentleman
mese'f 'stead of you."

"Why, you aren't really angry, Lieutenant?" mocked Necia. "It's only
the joke of an ignorant half-breed girl whose sense of humor is all out
of gear. You mustn't quarrel over a SQUAW!"

She taunted him like a baited badger, for this thing was getting beyond
her control and the savage instincts of the wilderness were uppermost.

"You are quite right," he replie