endeavoured to smile, with very small success for he was consumed with an
unsatisfied longing to destroy the bushman.

"I don't think you need be, Miss Torrance," he said. "I am only sorry I
could not come back for you; but unfortunately--circumstances--prevented
me."

"You have done enough," said Hetty impulsively, apparently forgetting the
presence of the rest. "It was splendid of you."

Then the bushman looked up again with an almost silent chuckle. "I guess
if it had been your plates he sat on, you wouldn't be quite so sure of
it--and the circumstance was me," he said.

Hetty turned from the speaker, and glanced at the rest. Muller was
standing near the door, with his spectacles down on his nose and mild
inquiry in his pale blue eyes, and a big bronzed Dakota man beside him was
grinning visibly. The fraeulein was kneeling despairingly amidst her
shattered china, while Flora Schuyler leaned against the table with her
lips quivering and a most suspicious twinkle in her eyes.

"Flo," said Hetty half-aloud. "How can you?"

"I don't know," said Miss Schuyler, with a little gasp. "Don't look at me,
Hetty. I really can't help it."

Hetty said no more, but she glanced at the red-cheeked fraeulein, who was
gazing at a broken piece of crockery with tearful eyes, and turned her
head away. Clavering saw the effort it cost her to keep from laughing, and
writhed.

"Well," said the man who had come with Muller, pointing to the wreck,
"what started you smashing up the house?"

"It's quite simple," said the bushman. "Mr. Clavering and I didn't quite
agree. He had a billet in his hand when he crept up behind me, and somehow
we fell into the crockery. I didn't mean to damage him, but he wanted to
get away, you see."

Hetty swung round towards Muller. "You haven't dared to make Mr. Clavering
a prisoner?"

Muller was never very quick at speech, and the American by his side
answered for him. "Well, we have got to keep him until Larry comes. He'll
be here 'most directly."

"Flo," said Hetty, with relief in her face, "Larry is coming. We need not
worry about anything now."

The fraeulein had risen in the meanwhile, and was busy with the kettle and
a frying-pan. By and by, she set a steaming jug of coffee and a hot
cornmeal cake before her guests for whom Muller had drawn out chairs. They
were glad of the refreshment, and still more pleased when Grant and
Breckenridge came in. When Larry shook hands with them, Hetty contrive