the young man.

"Are you that little railro'd chap that thinks he's runnin' this end of
the country on the kid-glove basis?" roared the big man. He swung his ax
menacingly.

"My name is Parker," replied the engineer. "That is my property yonder.
You will have to let my men pass to it."

The giant looked squarely over the engineer's head into the crowd of
Sunkhaze men.

"You all know me," he cried, "an' if ye don't know me ye've heard of me!
I reckon Dan Connick is pretty well known hereabouts. Wal, that's me.
Never was licked, never was talked back to. These men behind me are all
a good deal like me. I know the most o' you men. I should hate to hurt
ye. Your wives are up there waitin' for ye to come home. Ye'd better
go."

But the crowd made no movement to retreat. Parker still stood at their
head.

"Ye'd better go!" bellowed Connick. "Understand? I said ye'd better go.
Go an' mind your business, an' if ye do that, not a man in my crew will
step a foot on the Sunk-haze shore. But if ye stay here and meddle, then
down come your houses and out go your cook-stoves. You know me! Get back
on shore."

A tremendous roar from his men emphasized his demand.

"If ye want these hearties loose up there, ye can have 'em in about two
minutes!" he cried, threateningly.

The Sunkhaze contingent rubbed elbows significantly, mumbled in
conference, and scuffled slowly toward the shore.

"Are you going to back down, men?" Parker shouted.

"We've got wives an' children an' houses up there, mister," said a voice
from the crowd, "an' it's a cold night to be turned out-o'-doors. We
know these fellers better'n what you do."

"But, men," persisted Parker, "they won't dare to sack your village.
Such things are not done in these days. The law--"

"Law!" burst from Connick, jeeringly. "Law! Law!" echoed his men, with
mocking laughter.

"Why," yelled Connick, "there ain't deputy sheriffs enough in this
county to round us up once we get acrost the Poquette divide! There
ain't a deputy sheriff that will dare to poke his nose within ten miles
of our camps."

"That's right, Mr. Parker," agreed one of the Sunkhaze crowd. "Once a
crew burnt a smokin'-car when they were comin' up from--"

"No yarns now, no yarns now!" Connick thrust himself against the
Sunkhaze men and roughly elbowed them back. "Get on shore an' stay
there."

Parker was left standing alone on the ice. His supporters scuffled away,
muttering angry complaints, but of