walked to the window, peered forth at the raft,
and as he shrugged his big shoulders again something like a groan came
from him.

The thrill of approaching triumph swept through David's blood. The
flame of it was in his eyes when St. Pierre turned from the window.

"And you are disappointed, St. Pierre? You would like to see that
fight!"

The blue steel in St. Pierre's eyes flashed back. "If the price were a
year of my life, I would give it--if Bateese did not eat you up too
quickly. I love to look upon a good fight, where there is no venom of
hatred in the blows!"

"Then you shall see a good fight, St. Pierre."

"Bateese would kill you, m'sieu. You are not big. You are not his
match."

"I shall whip him, St. Pierre--whip him until he avows me his master."

"You do not know the half-breed, m'sieu. Twice I have tried him in
friendly combat myself and have been beaten."

"But I shall whip him," repeated Carrigan. "I will wager you
anything--anything in the world--even life against life--that I whip
him!"

The gloom had faded from the face of St. Pierre Boulain. But in a
moment it clouded again.

"My Jeanne has made me promise that I will stop the fight," he said.

"And why--why should she insist in a matter such as this, which
properly should be settled among men?" asked David.

Again St. Pierre laughed; with an effort, it seemed, "She is
gentle-hearted, m'sieu. She laughed and thought it quite a joke when
Bateese humbled me. 'What! My great St. Pierre, with the blood of old
France in his veins, beaten by a man who has been named after a
vegetable!' she cried. I tell you she was merry over it, m'sieu! She
laughed until the tears came into her eyes. But with you it is
different. She was white when she entreated me not to let you fight
Bateese. Yes, she is afraid you will be badly hurt. And she does not
want to see you hurt again. But I tell you that I am not jealous,
m'sieu! She does not try to hide things from me. She tells me
everything, like a little child. And so--"

"I am going to fight Bateese," said David. He wondered if St. Pierre
could hear the thumping of his heart, or if his face gave betrayal of
the hot flood it was pumping through his body. "Bateese and I have
pledged ourselves. We shall fight, unless you tie one of us hand and
foot. And as for a wager--"

"Yes--what have you to wager?" demanded St. Pierre eagerly.

"You know the odds are great," temporized Carrigan.

"That I concede, m'