on the raft. His wife was stepping on
it, when the noise and flight of riders descended along the other bank,
where Jake was waiting. They went in a circle, with hoarse shouts, round
the cabin as Mart with Nancy came from the pasture. The boy no sooner
saw them than he caught his sister up and carried her quickly away among
the corrals and sheds, where the two went out of sight.

"You stay here, Liza," her husband said. "I'll go back over."

But Mrs. Clallam laughed.

"Get ashore," he cried to her. "Quick!"

"Where you go, I go, John."

"What good, what good, in the name--"

"Then I'll get myself over," said she. And he seized her as she would
have jumped into the stream.

While they crossed, the Indians had tied their horses and rambled into
the cabin. Jake came from it to stop the Clallams.

"They're after your contract," said he, quietly. "They say they're going
to have the job of takin' the balance of your stuff that's left acrosst
the Okanagon over to this side."

"What did you say?" asked Mrs. Clallam.

"I set 'em up drinks to gain time."

"Do you want me there?" said Clallam.

"Begosh, no! That would mix things worse."

"Can't you make them go away?" Elizabeth inquired.

"Me and them, ye see, ma'am, we hev a sort of bargain they're to git
certain ferryin'. I can't make 'em savvy how I took charge of you. If
you want them--" He paused.

"We want them!" exclaimed Elizabeth. "If you're joking, it's a poor
joke."

"It ain't no joke at all, ma'am." Jake's face grew brooding. "Of course
folks kin say who they'll be ferried by. And you may believe I'd rather
do it. I didn't look for jest this complication; but maybe I kin steer
through; and it's myself I've got to thank. Of course, if them Siwashes
did git your job, they'd sober up gittin' ready. And--"

The emigrants waited, but he did not go on with what was in his mind.
"It's all right," said he, in a brisk tone. "Whatever's a-comin's
a-comin'." He turned abruptly towards the door. "Keep yerselves away
jest now," he added, and went inside.

The parents sought their children, finding Mart had concealed Nancy in
the haystack. They put Mrs. Clallam also in a protected place, as a
loud altercation seemed to be rising at the cabin; this grew as they
listened, and Jake's squaw came running to hide herself. She could tell
them nothing, nor make them understand more than they knew; but she
touched John's rifle, signing to know if it were loaded, and wa