to be the boss of me I want to know
it. And I can't know it too quick."

"But--you're only human, Ford!"

"Sure. But I'm kinda hoping I'm a man, too." His eyes lightened a
little while they rested upon her.

"But you've got the poison of it--it's like a traitor in your fort,
ready to open the door. You can't do it! I--oh, you'll never understand
why, but I can't let you risk it. You've got to let me help; give it to
me, Ford!"

"No, You go on to the house, and don't bother about me. You can't
help--nobody can. It's up to me."

She struck her hands together in a nervous rage. "You want to keep it
because you want to drink it! If you didn't want it, you'd hate to be
near it. You'd want some one to take it away. You just want to get
drunk, and be a beast. You--you--oh--you don't know what you're doing,
or how much it means! You don't know!" Her hands went up suddenly and
covered her face.

Ford walked the length of the room away from her, turned and came back
until he faced her where she stood leaning against the door, with her
face still hidden behind her palms. He reached out his arms to her,
hesitated, and drew them back.

"I wish you'd go," he said. "There are some things harder to fight than
whisky. You only make it worse."

"I'll go when you give me that." She flung a hand out toward the jug.

"You'll go anyway!" He took her by the arm, quietly pulled her away from
the door, opened it, and then closed it while, for just a breath or two,
he held her tightly clasped in his arms. Very gently, after that, he
pushed her out upon the doorstep and shut the door behind her. The lock
clicked a hint which she could not fail to hear and understand. He
waited until he heard her walk away, sat down with the air of a man who
is very, very weary, rested his elbows upon his knees, and with his
hands clasped loosely together, he glowered at the jug on the floor.
Then the soul of Ford Campbell went deep down into the pit where all the
devils dwell.

CHAPTER XIII

A Plan Gone Wrong

It was Mose crashing headlong into the old messbox where he kept rattly
basins, empty lard pails, and such, that roused Ford. He got up and went
into the kitchen, and when he saw what was, the matter, extricated Mose
by the simple method of grabbing his shoulders and pulling hard; then he
set the cook upon his feet, and got full in his face the unmistakable
fumes of whisky.

"What? You got another jug?" he asked, with some disgust