ooks, of which he left a great number. I have always
believed women to be uncommonly like men--very good, or very bad, or
very commonplace because they were afraid to be either. But, I have
not read that they are less honest than men."

"Thank you! Being a woman, I suppose I should consider myself
flattered. A year from this time you will know more about women---at
least, about _me_. You will have learned that I will not be
hoodwinked. I cannot be bribed. Nor can my silence, or acquiescence
in your villainy be bought. I will not connive with you. And you
cannot browbeat, nor bully, nor cheat me."

"Yes?"

"Yes. And of one thing I am glad. I shall expect no consideration at
your hands because I am a woman. You will fight me as you would fight
a man."

"Fight you? Why should I fight you? I have no quarrel with you. If
you choose to build a school here, or even a trading-post, I have no
disposition--no right to gainsay you. You will soon tire of your
experiment, and no harm will be done--the North will be unchanged. You
are nothing to me. I care nothing for your opinion of me--considering
its source, I am surprised it is not even worse."

"Impossible! And do not think that I have not had corroborative
evidence. Ocular evidence of your brutal treatment of Mr.
Lapierre--and did I not see with my own eyes the destruction of your
whiskey?"

"What nonsense are you speaking now? My whiskey! Woman--never yet
have I owned any whiskey."

Chloe sneered--"And the Indians--do they not hate you?"

"Yes, those Indians do--and well they may. Most of them have crossed
my path at some time or other. And most of them will cross it
again--at Lapierre's instigation. Some of them I shall have to kill."

"You speak lightly of murder."

"Murder?"

"Yes, murder! The murder of poor, ignorant savages. It is an ugly
word, isn't it? But why dissimulate? At least, we can call a spade a
spade. These men are human beings. Their right to life and happiness
is as good as yours or mine, and their souls are as----"

"Black as hell! Woman, from LeFroy down, you have collected about you
as pretty a gang of cut-throats and outlaws as could have been found in
all the North. Lapierre has seen to that. I do not envy you your
school. But as long as you can be turned to their profit your personal
safety will be assured. They are too cunning, by far, to kill the
goose that lays the golden egg."

"What a pretty sp