der the
hook of the jaw. It was the _coup a pied_. Kyle staggered and went down.
When he struggled up and weakly attacked again, the antagonist met him
face to face and smashed a stunning blow between Kyle's eyes; he fell
and remained on his back.

"One for me, and one for my wife he has insult'," cried Felix. He spun
around, searching their faces. "Do any of you like to back him up?"

"Not on your life," said a spokesman. "He doesn't belong in this crew."

"I'm much oblige'," said Felix, politely. He whistled, and the four
Indians rushed out from the shadows. "If he is not of the crew, then if
he goes away it does not matter."

He commanded the Indians, and they lifted Kyle and started off with him.

"He'll not be hurt," Felix assured the men of the crew. "He'll go down
the river where it's better for him."

Nobody offered protest. They were glad to be rid of that bellowing,
insistent voice of the trouble-maker.

Their attention was wholly engaged with the involuntary departure of
Kyle, and they did not observe Lapierre when he walked away; they turned
to ask more questions, to be informed what this abduction signified, but
Felix was nowhere to be seen. Men called but he did not reply.

Babble of comment and argument! It was a picked fight--anybody could see
that. Why should Lapierre come north in the Flagg interests? Lapierre
had never worked in a Flagg crew. It was begun so suddenly and was ended
so soon! A minute's flash of drama against the background of the night,
into which they stared with searching eyes while they made clamor like
quacking ducks that had been startled from sleep by a prowler! Curiosity
was lashing them. They were wonted to their reckless adventure in the
white water; it had become dull toil. This affair was something real in
the way of excitement, with a mystery which tantalized them. Again they
called into the night, seeking an explanation.

The prologue by which the Comas agent had been removed as tempter and
tale-bearer had not been staged by Felix for calculated effect; he had
thought only of getting Kyle out of the way. But never was an audience
in more keenly receptive mood for a sequel than were those men who
crowded closely in the patch of camp-fire radiance and asked questions
of one another.

To them when they were in that mood came one who made the drama more
poignant. They were hushed, they blinked uncertainly, they found it
unreal, unbelievable.

For here was a girl, f