ie, and bitterly he cursed LeFroy for disclosing to
MacNair the whereabouts of the Mausers concealed in the storehouse.

The inevitable attack of the Mounted he knew would come later. For the
man knew their methods. He knew that a small detachment, one officer,
or perhaps two, would appear before the barricade and demand his
surrender, and when surrender was refused, a report would go in to
headquarters, and after that--Lapierre shrugged--well, that was a
problem of tomorrow. In the meantime, if he held Chloe Elliston
prisoner under threat of death, it was highly probable that he could
deal to advantage with MacNair, and, at the proper time, with the
Mounted. If not--_Voila_! It was a fight to the death, anyway. And
again Lapierre shrugged.

Nearer and nearer drew the unsuspecting figure of the girl. The man
noted the haughty, almost arrogant beauty of her, as the moonlight
played upon the firm resolute features, framed by the oval of her
_parka_-hood. The next instant she paused in the shadow of his
banskian, almost at his side. Lapierre sprang to his feet and stood
facing her there in the snow. The smile of the thin lips hardened as
he noted the sudden pallor of her face and the look of wild terror that
flashed for a moment from her eyes. And then, almost on the instant,
the girl's eyes narrowed, the firm white chin thrust forward, and the
red lips curled into a sneer of infinite loathing and contempt.
Instinctively, Lapierre knew that the hands within the heavy mittens
had clenched into fighting fists. For an instant she faced him, and
then, drawing away as if he were some grizzly, loathsome thing
poisoning the air he breathed, she spoke. Her voice trembled with the
fury of her words, and Lapierre winced to the lash of a woman's scorn.

"You--you _dog_!" she cried. "You dirty, low-lived _cur_! How _dare_
you stand there grinning? How _dare_ you show your face? Oh, if I
were a man I would--I would strangle the life from your vile, sneaking
body with my two hands!"

The words ended in a stifled cry. With a snarl, Lapierre sprang upon
her, pinning her arms to her side. The next instant before his eyes
loomed the form of Big Lena, who leaped toward him with upraised ax
swung high. In the excitement of the moment, the man had not noted her
approach. With a swift movement he succeeded in forcing the body of
the girl between himself and the up-raised blade.

With a shrill cry of rage Lena dropped t