dness and ill-concealed haste and went outside, whence their low
voices came back in a confused consultation. Men who had not finished
followed them. In an amazingly short time there were but the girl,
Lee, Trevors and the cook in the room. Then Trevors went out, Benny at
his heels. Bud Lee, moving with his usual leisureliness, was following
when Judith's cool voice said quietly:

"You, Lee, wait a moment. I want to talk with you."

Lee hesitated. Then he came back and waited.

The men outside naturally grouped about the general manager. His angry
voice, lifted clearly, reached the two in the room.

"I'm fired," said Trevors harshly. "As soon as I can get going I am
leaving for the Western Lumber camp. Every one of you boys holds his
job here because I gave it to him. Do you want to hold it now, with a
fool girl telling you what to do? Do you want men up and down the
State to laugh at you and jeer at you for a pack of softies and
imbeciles? Or do you want to roll your blankets and quit? To every
man that jumps the job here and follows me to-day I promise a job with
the Western. You fellows know the sort of boss I've been to you. You
can guess the sort of boss that chicken in there would be. Now I'm
going. It's up to you. Stick to a white man or fuss around for a
woman?"

He had said what he had to say and, cursing when his shoulder struck a
form near him, made his way down to the stables. Burkitt was ahead of
him, going for the team.

"Well, Lee," said Judith sharply, "where do you get off? Do you want
to stick? Or shall I count you out?"

"I guess," said Bud very gently, "you'd better count me out."

"You're going with that crook?"

"No. I'm going on my own."

"Why? You're getting good money here. If you're square I'll keep you
at the same figure."

But Bud shook his head.

"I'm game to play square," he said slowly. "I'll stick a week, giving
you the chance to get a man in my place. That's all."

"What's the matter with you?" she cried hotly. "Why won't you stay
with your job? Is it because you don't want to take orders from me?"

Then Lee lifted his grave eyes to hers and answered simply: "That's it.
I'm not saying you're not all right. But I got it figured out, there's
just two kinds of ladies. If you want to know, I don't see that you've
got any call to tie into a man's job."

"Oh, scat!" cried the girl angrily. "You men make me tired. Two kinds
of ladies! And ten