ar in place. She barred the other door.

She looked despairingly around the disordered cabin, and moving
uncertainly to the nearest box, dropped upon it, and spreading her
arms on the table, let her head fall between them and wept like a
white woman.

CHAPTER XXIII

MAHOOLEY'S INNINGS

The next day, as far as the settlement was concerned, Sam Gladding had
ceased to be. Bringing the team to Bela's as he had promised, he left
it tied outside, and the night had swallowed him.

At first it was supposed he had started to walk out around the north
shore, the way he had come; but Indians from below Grier's Point
reported that no white man had passed that way. They found likewise
that he had not gone toward Tepiskow. He could not have crossed the
river, save by swimming, an impossible feat burdened with a rifle and
an axe.

Those who came in from around the bay said he had not been seen over
there, though Joe Hagland had barricaded himself in his shack in the
expectation of a visit.

It was finally decided that Sam must be hiding in the bush somewhere
near, and that he would come in with his tail between his legs when he
got hungry.

There was not much concern one way or the other. Most of the men
indulged in the secret hope that Sam would stay away. He was a game
kid, they were now ready to confess, but altogether too touchy; there
was no getting along comfortably with him. Had he not almost put the
resteraw out of business? It was as Bela said--if both the hotheads
kept out of the way, they might have some peace and comfort there.

Sergeant Coulson had compunctions. He proposed getting up a
search-party for Sam. The idea was laughed down. Nice fools they'd
make of themselves, opined Mahooley, setting out to look for a man in
good health and in the full possession of his faculties who hadn't
committed any crime.

There was a good attendance at Bela's dinner, and a full house at
night. To their undiscerning eyes Bela seemed to be her old self. That
is to say, she was not moping over what had happened. A wise man would
have guessed that she was taking it much too quietly; he would have
seen the danger signals in that unnaturally quick eye. Bela had
dropped her usual air of reserve. To-night she seemed anxious to
please. She smiled on each man in a way that bade him hope. She
laughed oftener and louder. It had a conscious, provocative ring that
the wise man would have grieved to hear. Competition became keen