fficulty in
recognizing it as a derisive, flirtatious challenge.

Not to be outdone, he came to the window and answered in kind. They
could not contain their laughter at the sound of the comical English
syllables.

Badinage flew fast after that. Ambrose observed that Nesis herself
never addressed him, but circulated slyly from one to another, making a
cup of her hand at each ear.

Becoming emboldened, they gradually drew closer to the window. They
made outrageous faces. Still the poker-players affected not to be
aware of them. As men and hunters they disdained to notice such
foolishness.

Suddenly Nesis, as if to prove her superior boldness, darted forward to
the very window. Ambrose, startled by the unexpected move, fell back a
step. Nesis put her hands on the sill and shrieked an unintelligible
jibe into the room.

The other girls hugged themselves with horrified delight. This was too
much for the jailers. They sprang up and with threatening voice and
gestures drove the girls away. They scampered down-hill, shrieking
with affected terror.

When Nesis placed her hands on the sill a thin package slipped out of
her sleeve and thudded upon the floor. Ambrose's heart jumped.

As the girls ran away, under cover of leaning out and calling after
them, he pushed her gift under the table with his foot. One of the
jailers, coming to the window and glancing about the room, found him
unconcernedly lighting his pipe.

When the poker game was resumed Ambrose retired with his prize to the
farthest corner of the shack. It proved to be the knife he had asked
for, a keen, strong blade.

She had wrapped it in a piece of moose hide to keep it from clattering
on the floor. Ambrose's heart warmed toward her anew. "She's as
plucky and clever as she is friendly," he thought. He stuffed the
knife in his bed and resigned himself as best he could to wait for
darkness.

Fortunately for his store of patience, the days were rapidly growing
shorter. His supper was brought him at six, and when he had finished
eating it was dark enough to begin work.

Outside the moon's first quarter was filling the bowl of the hills with
a delicate radiance, but moonlight outside only made the interior of
the shack darker to one looking in.

Ambrose squatted in the corner at the foot of his bed, and set to work
as quietly as a mouse in the pantry.

He had finished his hole in the flooring and was commencing to dig in
the earth, w