one wrong with her own brain? Was it
possible she had heard aright?

Suddenly she remembered the words of Corporal Ripley, when he asked her
to withdraw the charge of murder against MacNair: "In the North we know
something of MacNair's work." And again: "We know the North needs men
like MacNair."

Could it be possible that after all--with the thought there flashed into
the girl's mind the scene on Snare Lake. Had she not seen with her own
eyes the evidence of this man's work among the Indians! With a gesture
of appeal she turned to Big Lena.

"Surely, Lena, you remember that night on Snare Lake? You saw MacNair's
Indians, drunk as fiends--and the buildings all on fire? You saw MacNair
kicking and knocking them about? And you saw him fire the shots that
killed two men? Speak, can't you? Did you see these things? Did I see
them? Was I dreaming? Or am I dreaming now?"

Big Lena shifted her weight ponderously, and the stare of the china-blue
eyes met steadily the half-startled eyes of the girl. "Yah, Ay seen das
all right. Dem Injuns dey awful drunk das night and MacNair he come
'long and schlap dem and kick dem 'round. But das gude for dem. Dey got
it comin'. Dey should not ought to drink Lapierre's vhiskey."

"Lapierre's whiskey!" cried the girl. "Are you crazy?"

"Naw, Ay tank Ay ain't so crazy. Lapierre he fool ju long tam'."

"What do you mean," asked Chloe.

"Ah, das a'right," answered the woman. "He fool ju gude, but he ain't
fool Big Lena. Ay know all about him for a jear."

"But," pursued the girl, "Lapierre was with us that night!"

Lena shrugged. "Yah, Lapierre very smart. He send LeFroy 'long wit' das
vhiskey. Den v'en he know MacNair's Injuns git awful drunk, he tak' ju
'long for see it."

"LeFroy!" cried Chloe. "Why, LeFroy was off to the eastward trying to
run down some whiskey-runners."

Big Lena laughed derisively. "How ju fin' out?" she asked.

Chloe hesitated. "Why--why, Lapierre told me."

Again Big Lena laughed. "Yah, Lapierre tal ju, but, LeFroy, he don't
know nuthin' 'bout no vhiskey-runners. Only him and Lapierre dos all de
vhiskey-running in dis country. LeFroy, he tal me all 'bout das. He
tak' das vhiskey up dere and he sell it to MacNair's Injuns, and MacNair
shoot after him and kill two LeFroy's men. Ay goin' marry LeFroy, and he
tal me de trut'. He 'fraid to lie to me, or Ay break him in two.
LeFroy, he bane gude man now, he quit Lapierre. Ju bet