ked at her in
surprise. It was the first time she had addressed him without
prefixing the name Brute and emphasizing the prefix. He stood,
regarding her calmly, waiting for her to proceed. Somehow, Chloe found
that it had become very difficult for her to speak; to say the things
to this man that she had intended to say. "I cannot understand
you--your viewpoint."

"Why should you try? I ask no one to understand me. I care not what
people think."

"About the Indians, I mean----"

"The Indians? What do you know of my viewpoint in regard to the
Indians?" The man's face had hardened at her mention of the Indians.

"I know this!" exclaimed the girl. "That you are trading them whiskey!
With my own eyes I saw Mr. Lapierre smash your kegs--the kegs that were
cunningly disguised as bales of freight and marked with your name, and
I saw the whiskey spilled out upon the ground."

She paused, expecting a denial, but MacNair remained silent and again
she saw the peculiar twinkle in his eye as he waited for her to
proceed. "And I--you, yourself told me that you would kill some of Mr.
Lapierre's Indians! Do you call that justice--to kill men because they
happen to be in the employ of a rival trader--one who has as much right
to trade in the Northland as you have?"

Again she paused, but the man ignored her question.

"Go on," he said shortly.

"And you told me your Indians had to work so hard they had no time for
book-learning, and that the souls of the Indians were black as--as
hell."

"And I told you, also, that I have never owned any whiskey. Why do you
believe me in some things and not in others? It would seem more
consistent, Miss Chloe Elliston, for you either to believe or to
disbelieve me."

"But, I _saw_ the whiskey. And as for what you, yourself, told me--a
man will scarcely make himself out worse than he is."

"At least, I can scarcely make myself out worse than you believe me to
be." The twinkle was gone from MacNair's eyes now, and he spoke more
gruffly. "Of what use is all this talk? You are firmly convinced of
my character. Your opinion of me concerns me not at all. Even if I
were to attempt to make my position clear to you, you would not believe
anything I should tell you."

"What defence can there be to conduct such as yours?"

"Defence! Do you imagine I would stoop to defend my conduct to
_you_--to one who is, either wittingly or unwittingly, hand in glove
with Pierre Lapierre?"