ing her hands so tightly that it must have hurt her. "I'm
almost glad you can't understand me, for I wouldn't blame you for being
afraid of a man who told you he loved you an hour or two after he first
saw you. I love you. I've never wanted anything in all my life as I
want you. And I must be careful and not let you know it, mustn't I? If
I did you'd think I was some kind of an animal-brute--like Bram.
Wouldn't you?"

Bram's voice came in a sharp rattle of Eskimo outside. Philip could
hear the snarling rebellion of the wolves as they slunk away from the
cabin, and he drew Celie back from the door. Suddenly she freed her
hands, ran to the door and slipped back the wooden bolt as the
wolf-man's hand fumbled at the latch. In a moment she was back at his
side. When Bram entered every muscle in Philip's body was prepared for
action. He was amazed at the wolf-man's unconcern. He was mumbling and
chuckling to himself, as if amused at what he had seen. Celie's little
fingers dug into Philip's arm and he saw in her eyes a tense, staring
look that had not been there before. It was as if in Bram's face and
his queer mumbling she had recognized something which was not apparent
to him. Suddenly she left him and hurried into her room. During the few
moments she was gone Bram did not look once at Philip. His mumbling was
incessant. Perhaps a minute passed before the girl reappeared.

She went straight to Bram and before the wolf-man's eyes held a long,
shining tress of hair!

Instantly the mumbling in Bram's throat ceased and he thrust out slowly
a huge misshapen hand toward the golden strand. Philip felt his nerves
stretching to the breaking point. With Bram the girl's hair was a
fetich. A look of strange exultation crept over the giant's heavy
features as his fingers clutched the golden offering. It almost drew a
cry of warning from Philip. He saw the girl smiling in the face of a
deadly peril--a danger of which she was apparently unconscious. Her
hair still fell loose about her in a thick and shimmering glory. And
BRAM'S EYES WERE ON IT AS HE TOOK THE TRESS FROM HER FINGERS! Was it
conceivable that this mad-man did not comprehend his power! Had the
thought not yet burned its way into his thick brain that a treasure
many times greater than, that which she had doled out to him lay within
the reach of his brute hands at any time he cared to reach out for it?
And was it possible that the girl did not guess her danger as she stood
th