ent, drove the woman nearly
frantic. She felt abused, she reasoned that McGill had betrayed her, and
at last owned to the hunger she had been striving vainly to stifle for
months past. Now that there was nothing to gain, why blind herself to
the truth? She hated McGill, and she loved another! There had never been
an instant when her heart had not called.

And then, to make matters worse, Barclay came. He had spent most of the
long winter at the steamboat landing, being too angry to show himself in
Ophir, but the woman-hunger had grown upon him, as upon all men in the
North, and it finally drew him to her with a strength that would have
snapped iron chains. Hearing, shortly after his arrival, that McGill was
out on the creeks and never returned until dark, he went to the cabin.
Alice opened the door at his knock, then fell back with a cry. He shut
out the cold air behind him and stood looking at her until she gasped:

"Why have you come here?"

"Why? Because I couldn't stay away. You knew I'd have to come, didn't
you?"

"McGill!" she whispered, and cast a frightened look over her shoulder.

"Does he know?"

She shook her head.

"I hear he's broke--like the rest." Barclay laughed mockingly, and she
nodded. "Have you had enough?"

"Yes, yes! Oh yes!" she wailed, suddenly. "Take me away, Bob. Oh, take
me away!"

She was in his arms with the words, her breast to his, her arms about
his neck, her hot tears starting. She clutched him wildly, while he
covered her face with kisses.

"Don't scold me," she sobbed. "Don't! I'm sorry, I'm sorry. You'll take
me away, won't you?"

"Hush!" he commanded. "I can't take you away; there's no place to go to.
That's the worst of this damned country. He'd follow--and he'd get us."

"You must, Bob! You _must_! I'll die here with him. I've stood it as
long as I can--"

"Don't be a fool. You'll have to go through with it now until spring.
Once the river is open--"

"No, no, no!" she cried, passionately.

"Do you want us to get killed?"

Mrs. McGill shivered as if some wintry blast had searched out her
marrow, then freed herself from his embrace and said, slowly: "You're
right, Bob. We must be very careful. I--I don't know what he might do."

That evening she met McGill with a smile, the first she had worn for
some time, and she was particularly affectionate.

Instead of returning down-river, Barclay found lodgings and remained in
Ophir. He was not the most industrious of