g the delicious food she put
before them, the same thoughts passed through each man's mind.

What a treasure to enrich the cabin of a lonely pioneer! What would
hard work and discouragements matter if a man had that to welcome him
home at the end of the day? How could a man endure to live alone,
having known such a woman? How could he hope to succeed without her
help?

Each seeing the same thoughts revealed in the faces of his companions,
realized that two men stood between him and his desire, and the
baleful fires of jealousy were lighted again.

Each afraid one of the others might steal a march on him, watched his
mates like a detective. The consequence was that hating each other,
they nevertheless stuck together like burs.

They followed Bela round in company like dogs contending for scraps,
ready upon no occasion at all to bare their teeth and snarl at each
other.

Bela, perceiving her power, and being only a human woman, naturally
abused it a little. Thus to see white men, whom all her life she had
revered, cringing for her favour, went to her head a little.

She made them fetch and carry for her like women, she would have said.
Thus the situation was reversed from that of her first appearance in
the shack.

"Bring me sewing," she said. "I not lak do not'ing."

A variety of damaged garments was pressed upon her.

"I sew one for each man," she said.

Having made Husky comfortable, she took her work out into the
sunshine. Jack, Shand, and Joe lounged in front of her smoking,
watching her covertly; each privately making up his mind to secure
that charming sewing-machine for his own household, whatever the cost.

"Ain't you got not'ing to do?" asked Bela coolly.

"This is a holiday," replied Jack.

"The stable is dirty," she persisted.

"That's Shand's job," said Joe.

"Well, I ain't goin' to leave you two here," growled Shand. "There's
plenty of other work, if it comes to that."

"All go clean the stable," commanded Bela. "I lak a clean stable."

"Now go cut plenty wood, so I can cook good," she ordered when they
came back. "I want pine or birch. No poplar."

With Sam the case was a little different. When Bela addressed him it
was with perhaps a heightened arrogance, but for the most part he
managed to keep out of her way.

Not that he was indifferent; far from it. This new aspect of her
exasperated him mightily. "She needs a master," he thought. The idea
of taming her was delicious, seductive