for a long
spell of monotony."

"Well," she said, gazing straight at him; a glow in her eyes that
puzzled him; "we can't help it, can we? And I suppose we shall have to
make the best of it."

Lawler, however, did not expect the storm to last more than a day or so.
They seldom did, at this time of the year. He had drawn the gloomy
picture merely in an attempt to force Miss Wharton to realize the
indelicacy of her position. He had thought she would have exhibited
perturbation. Instead, she was calm and plainly unworried.

Puzzled, Lawler leaned an elbow on the table and scowled into the fire.
There was no apparent reason why he should object to remaining in the
cabin with a pretty woman who did not seem eager to leave it. And yet he
was afflicted with a grave unrest.

Givens and Link were in the dugout, and presently they would return to
the cabin. They would have to remain in the cabin, for it would be
inhuman of him to compel them to stay very long in the dugout with the
horses. Thus was Miss Wharton shielded against the impropriety of
staying for any length of time in the cabin with him, alone.

But the safeguard of propriety was also a danger. Because Link had
permitted a certain light to glow in his eyes Lawler had knocked him
down. If the four of them were to remain in the cabin for any length of
time, there would be periods when he must sleep. And then Link----

Lawler's thoughts broke off here, for he heard a sound at the
door--Givens' voice, saying hoarsely:

"For God's sake, Boss, let us in! We're freezin' to death!"

Lawler got up and walked to the door. He hesitated as he lifted the bar,
telling Miss Wharton to wrap the blanket tightly around her in
anticipation of the rush of wind. When he saw that she obeyed him, he
swung the door open.

As Lawler opened the door he stepped back with it, escaping by inches
the sweep of an axe blade that caught the light from the lamp and
shimmered brightly in a half-circle as it was swung with the malignant
force of Link's arms.

The blade of the axe struck the floor, sinking deep into the boards;
while Link, hurled off balance by the viciousness of his attack, tumbled
headlong after the axe, sprawling on his hands and knees on the cabin
floor, muttering curses.

CHAPTER XX

THE "KILLING"

For an instant following the attack there was no change in the scene
inside the cabin. Surprise that Lawler had escaped his blow seemed to
retard Link's movement