" he cried passionately. "I told you to leave me
alone! You can't understand a man has his pride. You're loathsome to
me now!"

Mahooley interfered with good intent. "Sam, you're foolish. What
difference does it make? Nobody blames you!"

"Keep your mouth out of this!" cried Sam, whirling on him.

To Bela he went on blindly: "The team is at the Point. I'll have it
here in an hour! My credit at the store is yours! You hear that,
Mahooley? Turn over what's coming to me to her. The gun, the axe, the
blankets I'll keep. I'll pay you for them when I earn it. I'll make
you a present of my labour, driving for you. And I hope to God I'll
never see you again!" He ran out.

* * * * *

Bela stood in an oddly arrested attitude, as if an icy blast had
congealed her in full motion. There was no sense in her eyes. In acute
discomfort, the men stood on one foot, then the other.

Mahooley, as the leader, felt that it was incumbent on him to make the
first move.

"Look here, Bela," he began. "Don't you take on----"

The sound of his voice brought her to life. She threw back her head
with a laugh. It had a wretched, mirthless sound; but a laugh is a
laugh. They were glad to be deceived. They laughed with her.

"Tak' on?" cried Bela recklessly. Her voice had a tinny ring. "W'at do
I care? I glad he gone. I glad both gone. I never let them come here
again. Maybe we have some peace now."

Naturally the other men were delighted.

"Good for you, Bela!" they cried. "You're a game sport, all right!
You're right; they're not worth bothering about. We'll stand by you!"

She seemed unimpressed by their enthusiasm.

"Time to go," she said, shepherding them toward the door. "Come
to-morrow. I have ver' good dinner to-morrow."

"You bet I'll be here!" "Count on me!" "Me, too!" "You're all right,
Bela!" "Good night!" "Good night!"

They filed out.

Only Musq'oosis was left sitting on the floor, staring into the fire.
He did not turn around as Bela came back from the door.

"Why don't you go, too?" she demanded in a harsh, tremulous voice.

"T'ink maybe you want talk to me."

"Talk!" she cried. "Too moch talk! I sick of talkin'!" Her voice was
breaking. "Go 'way! Let me be!"

He got up. He had dropped his innocent affectations. "My girl----" he
began simply.

"Go 'way!" cried Bela desperately. "Go quick, or I hit you!"

He shrugged and went out. Bela slammed the door after him and dropped
the b