ntion which righteous anger had stirred
in her, but when she started down the slope Felix leaped and ventured to
restrain her with a touch on her arm. "Is it well to let the Comas know
that you are here or what you are going to do? Pardon, mam'selle, but
think!"

"The lies! The lies!"

"Yes, mam'selle, but you can tell them the truth when he is not there to
hear."

"But now he is there, and I cannot go to the men."

"In a little while you may go; he will not be there. And if he does not
know what is going on up here, after his back is turned, maybe we shall
have day after day to push our logs in ahead of all the others,"
explained the riverman. "They will be days worth much." Then with the
imagery of his race he added, "Those days will be gold beads on our
rosary, mam'selle!" He smiled into her eyes, from which the fires were
departing. "Please wait here with the the others."

He whispered to several of the Indians; when he sauntered down the slope
the four summoned Tarratines stole to right and left, masking themselves
in the shadows, flanking the champion who was going alone.

Most of the men of the crew recognized Felix Lapierre when he walked
into the circle of light. They leaped up, surrounded him, their mouths
full of hilarious congratulation, of excuses why they had not attended
the wedding, of awkward jokes and questions. They could not understand
why he had come north so soon. He shook his head, mildly refusing to
satisfy their curiosity.

Kyle stood for a time; then he resumed his pacing. He no longer had
listeners. Like children, the rivermen were wholly absorbed in a new
toy--a bridegroom who had so suddenly deserted the handsomest girl
between Adonia and The Forks.

"Oh, let him alone," advised Kyle, whetting his new grouch. "If they
ain't running away _with_ girls in this region, they're running away
_from_ 'em!"

Felix swung around and faced the speaker. "Do you speak of me?" he
asked, quietly.

"Take it that way if you want to."

"Your tongue seems to be very busy, I have that to say to you. From up
there on the hill I heard what you have to say about M'sieu Latisan,
that he has run away with a girl."

"And he has."

"You lie!"

That retort snapped the trigger on Kyle's inflamed temper. "You
damnation squaw man!" he yelped, and drove a blow at the French
Canadian; and Felix, following the fighting custom of his clan of the
Laurentian Valley, ducked low, leaped high, and kicked Kyle un