her face. She looked hot to the touch, an active
volcano ready to erupt. There was an odd feeling in her mind that this
big man was a stranger to her.

"Take your hands from me," she ordered.

"Do you think I'm going to give you up now--now, after I've won
you--because of a damfool scruple in your pretty head? You don't know
me. It's too late. I love you--and I'm going to protect both of us from
your prudishness."

His arms closed on her and he crushed her to him, looking down hungrily
into the dark, little face.

"Let me go," she cried fiercely, struggling to free herself.

For answer he kissed the red lips, the flaming cheeks, the angry eyes.
Then, coming to his senses, he pushed her from him, turned, and strode
heavily from the room.

CHAPTER XV

GORDON BUYS A REVOLVER

Selfridge was not eager to meet his chief, but he knew he must report at
once. He stopped at his house only long enough to get into fresh clothes
and from there walked down to the office. Over the Paget telephone he
had got into touch with Macdonald who told him to wait at headquarters
until he came.

It had been the intention of Macdonald to go direct from Sheba to his
office, but the explosion brought about by Meteetse had sent him out
into the hills for a long tramp. He was in a stress of furious emotion,
and until he had worked off the edge of it by hard mushing, the cramped
civilization of the town stifled him.

Hours later he strode into the office of the company. He was
dust-stained and splashed with mud. Fifteen miles of stiff heel-and-toe
walking had been flung behind him.

Wally lay asleep in a swivel chair, his fat body sagging and his head
fallen sideways in such a way as to emphasize the plump folds of his
double chin. His eyes opened. They took in his chief slowly. Then, in
a small panic, he jumped to his feet.

"Must 'a' been taking thirty winks," he explained. "Been up nights a
good deal."

"What doing?" demanded the Scotchman harshly.

In a hurried attempt to divert the anger of Macdonald, his assistant
made a mistake. "Say, Mac! Who do you think came up on the boat with me?
I wondered if you knew. Meteetse and her kid--"

He stopped. The big man was glaring savagely at him. But Macdonald said
nothing. He waited, and under the compulsion of his forceful silence
Wally stumbled on helplessly.

"--They got off here. 'Course I didn't know whether you'd sent for her
or not, so I stopped and kinder gave her the