Without confessing what was in his mind, each man searched the shore
for a tell-tale wisp of smoke. Nothing was to be seen. Each wondered
if she were watching him from concealment, laughing in her sleeve.

Returning at last, unsatisfied and irritable, a senseless dispute
arose at the door over who should be the last to enter. Shand,
suddenly losing his temper, gave Joe a push that sent the youth
sprawling inside on his hands and knees. He sprang up livid and insane
with rage.

Jack and Shand instinctively drew together. Joe, seeing the odds
against him, leaped without a word toward the corner of the shack
where the guns were kept. The other two paling, measured the distance
back to the door. But Joe was held up in mid career.

"They're gone!" he cried blankly.

Following his eyes, they saw that the corner was empty. Their thoughts
took a sharp turn. They glanced at each other suspiciously.

Joe's anger blazed up afresh.

"You did it, you traitor!" he cried, whirling around on Shand.

"You made way with the guns so you could pick us off one by one! You
keep quiet, don't you, and work behind our backs! Jack, are you going
to stand for it? He'll get you, too!"

Jack moved a little away from Shand, grim and suspicious.

"What grounds have you?" he demanded of Joe.

Joe had no grounds--except his anger. "I see it in his face!" he
cried.

"It's a damned lie!" said the dark man thickly. "I play fair."

Joe renewed and enlarged his accusations. Husky, from the bed, merely
to be on the stronger side, added his voice. Big Jack's silent anger
was more dangerous than either. Once more the little shack was like a
cauldron boiling over with the poisonous broth of hate.

Sam sat up in his bed, blinking--and angry, too. He felt he had been
wakened once too often by their imbecile quarrelling.

"For Heaven's sake, what's the matter now?" he demanded.

"Shand stole the guns!" cried Joe.

"He didn't," said Sam. "I hid them."

All four turned on him in astonishment. "What did you do that for?"
demanded Joe, open-mouthed.

"I hid them to keep you from blowing the tops of each other's heads
off before morning," said Sam coolly. "Turn in and forget it."

Joe took a step toward him. "By George, we don't need no cook to tell
us what to do!" he cried. "I'll teach you----"

"You fool!" said Sam scornfully. "It's nothing to me if you want to
shoot each other. I'll tell you where they are. Only I'll move on by
your leav