Keep out of this," he said. "It's nothing to you." As he spoke he tried
to wrench the chair free; but Angus' grip held. Letting go himself, the
big man clinched him.

Angus felt himself caught in a tremendous grip; but the wrench and heave
that followed did not pluck him from his footing. He locked his long
arms around Gavin, and the arch of his back and the sinews of his braced
legs held against him.

Suddenly Gavin gave ground, swung and tripped with the heel. Angus felt
himself going, but he took his man with him. They rolled over and over.
By this time Angus had lost all his indifference. For the first time
since his full strength came upon him, he was putting it all forth
against a man as strong or stronger than himself. And then he became
aware that nobody else was fighting. Gavin's grip loosened.

"Let go, Mackay," he said. "Cut it out now."

Then Angus saw Kathleen. She had slipped on some clinging thing of blue
and lace, and her hair in its night braids hung to her waist. Her face
was pale and her eyes stormy with anger.

"Well," she said, "_gentlemen_!"

She accented the word with bitter irony. Her eyes swept over them
disdainfully, resting for a moment on Angus.

"All right, Kit," Gavin said. "You can go back to roost."

"If you're quite through!" she said. "Otherwise I'll stay."

"Oh, we're through," Gavin assured her.

Without another word Kathleen left the room. Behind her there was utter
silence for a moment. Then with one accord the guests moved toward the
door. Gavin halted them.

"No," he said, "you can't go till this blizzard blows out. Don't be
damned fools just because we've had a row. Mackay will tell you what
it's like outside. Now we'll leave you alone, because you probably want
it that way." He turned to Angus who stood apart from the rest, and
lowered his voice. "You're a good, skookum man, Mackay. I half wish
Kathleen hadn't butted in."

"So do I," Angus returned. The big man smiled.

"No hard feelings on my part," he said. "I'd just like to see which of
us was the better man. I never hooked up with anybody as husky as you.
You're not like these blighters." His eyes rested on his guests with
utter contempt. "You were right in catching that chair. I might have
hurt somebody. Thanks. Good night."

Left alone, Angus after telling the others that in his opinion it would
be folly to venture out before daylight, established himself in his
corner, where Chetwood presently joined him.