th. Only death dwelt in those cold and
rushing waters. "What do you mean to do?" she asked.

Her tone was more quiet now, and he waited an instant before he
answered. The canoe glided faster--ever faster down the stream. Somewhat
afraid, but still trusting in the imperial mind of his master, the wolf
raised his head to watch the racing shore line.

"It's just a little debt I owe your father--and his gang," Ben
explained. "I'll tell you some time, in the days to come. It was a debt
of blood--"

The girl's dark eyes charged with red fire. "And you, a coward, take
your payment on a woman. Turn the canoe into the bank."

"The payment won't be taken from you," he explained soberly. "You'll be
safe enough--even the fate that Neilson fears for you won't happen. I
hate him too much to take _that_ payment from you. I'd die before I'd
touch the flesh of his flesh to mine! Do you understand that?"

His fury had blazed up, for the instant, and she saw the deadly zeal of
a fanatic in his gray eyes. A hatred beyond all naming, a bitterness and
a rage such as she had never dreamed could blast a human heart was
written in his brown, rugged face. Her woman's intuition gave her added
vision, and she glimpsed something of the fire that smoldered and seared
behind his eyes. They were of one blood, this man in the stern and the
wolf on the duffle.

"Then why--"

"You're safe with me--the daughter of Jeff Neilson can't ever be
anything but safe with me--as far as the thing you fear is concerned.
Don't be afraid for that. I'm simply paying an honest debt, and you're
the unfortunate agent. Don't you know the things he's fearing now are
more torment to him than anything I could do to his flesh? If we should
be killed in these rapids that are coming, it will be fair enough too;
he'll know what it is to lose the dearest thing on earth he has. For you
and me it will only be a minute that won't greatly matter. For him it
will be weeks--months! But that's only a part of it. I hope to bring you
through. The main thing is--that sooner or later they'll come for
you--into a country where I'll have every advantage. Where there won't
be any escape or chance for them. Where I can watch the trails, and
shatter them--every one--as slow or as fast as I like. Where they'll
have to hunt for me, week on week and month on month, their fears eating
into them. That's my game, Beatrice. There will be discomfort for
you--and some danger--but I'll make it as l