sion and anger till he was well-nigh
distracted. Nor was Ralph any less disturbed. In his undemonstrative way
he watched Nick, and suffered the acutest pangs of jealousy at what he
believed was Aim-sa's marked preference. But the woman continued to stir
the fire she had kindled with a childlike naivete which was less of the
wild than of the drawing-room.

And as day succeeded day, and week followed week, the companionship of
these men became forced. The old tacit understanding was replaced by a
feverish desire to talk; and this forced conversation only helped to
widen the rift which was already gaping between them.

One night the friction almost resulted in a blaze.

Ralph was lying prone upon his back, buried to the neck in his "Arctic
bag." He was smoking, as was his custom, while waiting for sleep to
come. An oil lamp reeked upon the earthen floor and threw its bilious
rays little further than the blankets spread out upon either side of it.
For a long time Ralph had lain silently gazing up at the frosted rafters
above him, while his brother sat cross-legged at work restringing his
snow-shoes with strands of rawhide. Suddenly Ralph turned his face
towards him in silent contemplation. He watched Nick's heavy hands with
eyes that wore a troubled look. Then he abruptly broke the long silence.

"Victor don't know as she's here," he said.

Nick looked up, glanced round the room, shook his head, and bent over
his work again.

"No," he answered shortly.

"Maybe he won't jest laff."

"No."

Again came Nick's monosyllabic reply.

"Guess we'd best let him know."

There was a pause. Ralph waited for his brother to speak. As no answer
came he went on.

"Who's goin' to tell him?"

Still there was no reply. The silence was broken only by the "ping" of
the rawhide strands which Nick tested as he drew tight.

"We need some fixin's fer her," Ralph went on, a moment later. "Wimmin,
I 'lows, has fancies. Now, maybe, Victor's got a mighty fine show o'
print stuffs. A bit o' Turkey red wouldn't come amiss, I dessay.
Likewise beads."

"Maybe."

"Why don't you take the dogs an' run in?"

Nick's hands suddenly became motionless; his eyes were raised until they
looked into the face of his brother. His seared, weather-beaten skin
flushed a desperate hue, and his eyes were alight and shining angrily.
His lips twitched with the force of the passion stirring within him, and
for some seconds he held himself not daring to tru