d a brief
whispered conference with the truculent Pepin before
entering. The result of it was somewhat unexpected; the
half-breed girl took Dorothy by the arm and led her into
a low room, which was scrupulously clean, at the end of
the passage. There was no one in it. Katie seemed strangely
nervous as she shut the door, and the girl wondered what
was about to happen. Then the half-breed turned suddenly
and looked into her eyes, at the same time placing one
hand upon her wrist.

"Listen," she said, "I thought I loved you, but you have
made me mad--so mad this night! Now tell me true--_verite
sans peur_--you shall--you must tell me--do you love
Pierre?"

If it had not been for the tragic light in the poor girl's
eyes, Dorothy would have laughed in her face at the bare
idea. As it was, she answered in such an emphatic way
that Katie had no more doubts on that point. Then Dorothy
asked the latter to send Pierre to her and to be herself
present at the interview.

Katie at first demurred. She was afraid that the interview
might prove too much for the susceptible frail one. But
she brought him in, and when Dorothy had spoken a few
words to him, the fickle swain was only too anxious to
make it up with his real love. This satisfactory part
of the programme completed, Katie packed him off into
the next room, and then, with the emotional and
demonstrative nature of her people, literally grovelled
in the dust before Dorothy. She stooped and kissed her
moccasined feet, and called on the girl to forgive her
for her treacherous conduct But Dorothy raised her from
the ground and comforted her as best she could. To her
she was as a child, although perhaps her passion was a
revelation that as yet she but imperfectly comprehended.
But Katie was to prove the sincerity of her regret in a
practical fashion.

"Where are your friends?" she asked. "Tell me
everything--yes, you can trust me. By the Blessed Virgin,
I swear I will serve you faithfully!" She raised her
great dark tear-stained eyes to Dorothy's.

The girl instinctively felt that Katie was to be trusted.
The only question was, could she count upon her discretion?
She felt that she could do that also; she knew that in
a matter of intrigue the dusky metis have no equals. The
chances were that the others had reached the Fort; if
so, no more harm could be done. Briefly she told Katie
about those who had started out with her to steal through
the rebel lines to the English g