his face worked as might that of a man in
great pain. Then its expression changed and a flush mounted to his brow;
a flush of indescribable rage. Again his eyes were raised and a devilish
look peered out from them.

An opening not two acres in extent lay before him. In its midst was a
blackened tree-trunk, limbless, riven; a forest giant blasted by some
mountain storm. Nick was standing beside it; his gun rested against its
blackened sides, and, upon a fallen bough, scarcely a yard away, Aim-sa
was seated. They were in deep converse, and Ralph was near enough to
hear the sound of their voices, but not to distinguish their words. As
he strained his tingling ears to catch the tenor of their speech, he
could hear the movements of the bear in the adjacent woods.

The two in the open seemed all unconscious of what was going on so near
them. Nick was gazing upon the woman, his heart laid bare in his eyes.
And Aim-sa was smiling up into his face with all the arch coquetry of
her sex, with that simple, trusting look which, however guileful, must
ever appeal to the strong man.

For awhile Ralph looked on. The exquisite torture of his heart racked
him, but he did not turn away to shut out the sight. Rather it seemed as
if he preferred to thus harass himself. It was the working of his own
angry passion which held him, feeding itself, fostering, nursing itself,
and goading him to fury.

Suddenly the sound of movement close at hand broke the spell which held
him. He looked, and saw the bear less than twenty yards off.

He gripped his rifle, and his first thought was to slay. It was the
hunter's instinct which rose within him. But something held him, and his
weapon did not move from his side; somewhere in his heart a harsh voice
whispered to him, and he listened to words of evil counsel. Then a
revulsion of feeling swept over him, and he shook himself as though to
get rid of something which clung about him and oppressed him. But the
moment passed, leaving him undecided, his brain maddened with bitter
thoughts.

The dark form in the bush beyond moved. There came no sound, and the
waiting man wondered if his eyes deceived him. No cat could have moved
more silently upon its prey. Not a twig creaked. It moved on stealthily,
inexorably, till it paused at the edge of the opening.

Ralph's eyes turned upon the dead tree. Nick's back was turned, and
Aim-sa was intent upon her companion. She seemed to be hanging upon his
every word. A