ctor, taking both her hands in his,
"I'm awfully glad there's nothing wrong."

"Nothing wrong? Look at that house!"

"Oh, yes, awfully sorry. But we were afraid--of that--eh--that is--"

"Yes, Mandy," said her husband, making visible efforts to control his
voice, "we frankly were afraid that that old devil Copperhead had come
this way and--"

"He did!" cried Mandy.

"What?"

"He did. Oh, Allan, I was going to tell you just as the Inspector came,
and I am so sorry. When you left I wanted to help. I was afraid of what
all those Indians might do to you, so I thought I would ride up the
trail a bit. I got near to where it branches off toward the Reserve near
by those pine trees. There I saw a man come tearing along on a pony. It
was this Indian. I drew aside. He was just going past when he glanced at
me. He stopped and came rushing at me, waving a pistol in his hand. Oh,
such a face! I wonder I ever thought him fine-looking. He caught me by
the arm. I thought his fingers would break the bone. Look!" She pulled
up her sleeve, and upon the firm brown flesh blue and red finger marks
could be seen. "He caught me and shook me and fairly yelled at me, 'You
save my boy once. Me save you to-day. Next time me see your man me kill
him.' He flung me away from him and nearly off my horse--such eyes! such
a face!--and went galloping off down the trail. I feared I was going to
be ill, so I came on homeward. When I reached the top of the hill I saw
the smoke and by the time I arrived the house was blazing and Smith was
carrying water to put out the fire where it had caught upon the smoke
house and stables."

The men listened to her story with tense white faces. When she had
finished Cameron said quietly:

"Mandy, roll me up some grub in a blanket."

"Where are you going, Allan?" her face pale as his own.

"Going? To get my hands on that Indian's throat."

"But not now?"

"Yes, now," he said, moving toward his horse.

"What about me, Allan?"

The word arrested him as if a hand had gripped him.

"You," he said in a dazed manner. "Why, Mandy, of course, there's you.
He might have killed you." Then, shaking his shoulders as if throwing
off a load, he said impatiently, "Oh, I am a fool. That devil has sent
me off my head. I tell you what, Mandy, we will feed first, then we will
make new plans."

"And there is Moira, too," said Mandy.

"Yes, there is Moira. We will plan for her too. After all,"
he continued, with a slight