the
quietest, simplest way possible, and the fewest words. The girl listened
with flushing cheeks and sparkling eyes.

"What fun!" she said at last when he had finished, and kicking off her
snow-laden boots as she sat by the stove. "And you held off six men by
the 'power of your eye?' what a convenient eye that is! I don't see
you've any need to carry a six-shooter! I wish they'd come back
to-night, we'd give them something of a reception."

Talbot laughed, and looked pleased at the praise from her bright young
lips. Stephen only looked anxious.

That night they sat up rather later than usual, and Katrine was quite in
a pleased state of expectation. No visitors made their appearance,
however, and at last Talbot left to go to his own cabin.

"Now, if they come in the night," remarked Katrine, laughing, as she
said good-night, "don't slay them all with your eye, mind, but give me a
chance."

Talbot promised to use his eye mercifully, and Katrine and Stephen put
their lights out and went to bed.

It seemed to Katrine she had been asleep some time, when she awoke
suddenly and put her hand on her husband's arm. "Steve, I hear steps."

"Nonsense," murmured Stephen, drowsily; "it's your fancy. Go to sleep."

But Katrine's ears were like those of a wild animal, quick and not to be
deceived.

"Go to sleep yourself, if you can," she retorted, and sprang up in the
darkness, found her day clothes, and hustled them on. There was silence
now outside, but Katrine hurried all she could, and then with one
revolver in her belt and one in her hand went into the other room.
Suddenly, and without the slightest warning, there was a crash, a sound
of tearing and splitting wood, and the door was crushed inward, letting
in a blast of icy air. There was pitch darkness within and without.
Katrine answered immediately by two shots fired in succession; there was
a heavy groan, a muttered curse, and some shuffling of feet outside.
Katrine, standing flat against the wall to avoid offering a mark for
wandering shots, chuckled inwardly and waited. A second later a shot
came in return, but the bullet went high. Katrine heard it whizz into
the wood somewhere between the wall and roof.

She stood motionless, listening. Just in front of her, on the other side
of the room, was the stove, and in this there still glowed an
unextinguished portion of log, making one small spot of blood red in
the surrounding darkness. Katrine fixed her eye on this g