et those two men kill each
other."

"We can do nothing. Even to call to Willy would take his attention from
the battle. You know what that would mean."

"Oh-h-h-h-h!" moaned Emma, toppling over in a faint.

"Oh, Heavens! Look!" wailed Anne.

One of the combatants staggered and swayed. An arm was thrust out at
him, but the blade that had been driven against him did not flash in
the moonlight, for the body of the wielder was between it and the
spectators. Even the jacks stood silent, they having halted at Tom
Gray's command, but their breathing was heavily audible.

"He's killed! It's Peg!" cried Grace.

The Indian's victim, following the last thrust, had toppled over into
the river below the dam. With a bound, Willy Horse cleared the spiling
and leaped to the river bed to finish his victim.

"Willy! Stop!" Grace Harlowe's voice rang out shrill and penetrating, as
Willy, the savage instincts of his race having taken possession of his
soul, raised his knife-hand above Peg Tatem, who lay on his back on the
river-bed.

CHAPTER XXIV

CHRISTMAS IN THE BIG WOODS

Willy Horse, brought suddenly to his senses by Grace's scream,
hesitated, got slowly to his feet, and stood narrowly watching his
opponent who lay, nearly covered with water, moaning faintly. There was
ferociousness in the heart of the Indian, but Grace's voice had stayed
his hand.

Lumber-jacks, with Tom and Hippy, had plunged into the shallow stream
the instant that Grace cried out, and were running towards Willy, now
standing calmly awaiting them.

"Did you kill him?" shouted Hippy.

"No kill. Mebby kill bymeby," answered Willy Horse briefly as Tom and
Hippy came puffing up to him.

"You have done enough. Let him alone!" commanded Tom, lifting the head
and shoulders of the wounded man. "Fellows, carry this man ashore, but
don't hurt him!"

Emma, having regained consciousness, was assisted up the bank by Anne
and Nora, while Peg was being taken to the bunk-house by the
lumberjacks. Elfreda, after a brief examination, did not believe that
Peg's wound would prove fatal, but Hippy advised her not to tell the
foreman of Section Forty-three of this, saying that he wished to make
the man talk, which Peg probably would not do were he to think that his
wounds were trivial.

The lumberjacks were ugly, and, had they had their way, they would have
promptly finished the job begun by Willy Horse, believing, as they did,
that Peg Tatem was responsibl