hil gave a
little start, but kept on singing, and we carried the duet through.
My! but the men nearly tore us to shreds. O'Dwyer fairly lifted
Phil off his feet, at this triumph of his hero, for he has taken a
great liking to our silent Englishman. The colonel thanked us with
delightful appreciation and soon after went out--more quiet than
ever. I reckon he was homesick. We all were--a bit. Sweethearts
and wives seemed very far away that night._

_"You speak of Scar Faced Charlie's avowed intention of abandoning
his freighting. He'll probably never come up here again. He
recently sent me some cash I'd loaned him, and he intimated as
much. Before he left here he returned his squaw, Pine Coulee, to
her father; then Burroughs bought her for a bunch of ponies._

_"Me-Casto couldn't compete--poor devil. He, like all Indians, had
gambled away his small stock of ponies early in the fall--as
Burroughs well knew."_

"Come on, Arthur," called Danvers, cheerily, as he stuck his head into
the room. "There's a dance on at Bob's trading-post."

"All right." Latimer hurriedly put away his writing and soon they ran
along the trail to the rendezvous.

"Look, there is Me-Casto!" exclaimed Philip.

"Where?"

"Skulking in the shadows back of Bob's place."

"Bob better look out," said Arthur, as they pushed open the store door.
"Me-Casto is not here for any good."

The candle-lighted room was well filled with traders, troopers, trappers
and squaws. No buck ever participated in a white man's dance, but
several stood by the door and looked on. Every one was in high spirits,
and when the fiddler, a French 'breed, struck up, stamping his
moccasined feet to keep time, each man secured a squaw and took his
place. A brazen-lunged 'breed shouted, "Alleman' lef'! Swing yer
partners!" and the couples swung giddily around.

Danvers joined in with right good-will. Occasionally he danced; more
often he sat on the long trade counter and kept time to the emphatic
music by beating his spurs heavily against the boards behind his feet.
Latimer and O'Dwyer danced joyously; but Burroughs, apparently uneasy,
as the evening wore on, kept a watchful eye on the outer door. Philip
noticed, too, that Pine Coulee was less phlegmatic than usual, although
she danced faithfully at the command of her lord and master.

Presently Me-Casto came in and stood by the door. With blanket muff