ice during the operation, but whether he hit or
not he did not know. One of the burning bundles fell in the bunk, which
was soon ablaze, and the cabin began to fill with smoke. At the same
time the besieged became aware of a fierce crackling outside, and the
outlook in the snow-covered lake was illumined by a growing glow. Stane
understood the meaning of the phenomenon at once, and looked at the
girl.

"They are trying to burn down the cabin," he said. "I am afraid it is a
choice of evils, Miss Yardely. We must either stay here, and die of
suffocation or fire, or face the music outside."

"Then let us go outside," answered the girl resolutely.

"I do not believe they will injure you. I believe that they have orders
to the contrary, but----"

"Did Miskodeed tell you so?"

For the moment he was utterly staggered by the question, then
perceiving that she knew of his recent interview with the Indian girl,
he answered frankly:

"Yes! You are to be taken alive, but I am to die, according to the
program as arranged!"

"Oh, no! no!" she cried in sudden anguish. "You must not die. You must
fight! You must live! live! I do not want you to die!"

In the growing light in the burning cabin he could see her face quite
plainly, and the anguished concern in her eyes shook him as the dangers
around him never could have done. Moved for a moment beyond himself, he
stretched a hand towards her.

"My dear!" he stammered. "My dear----"

"Oh then you know that I am that?" she cried.

"I have known it for months!"

She made a little movement that brought her closer to him, and yielding
to the surging impulse in his heart, he threw an arm round her.

"If you die----" she began, and broke off as a gust of smoke rolled
over them.

"I think it is very likely," he answered. "But I am glad to have had
this moment."

He stooped and kissed her, and a sob came from her.

"I shall die too!" she said. "We will die together--but it would have
been splendid to live."

"But you will live," he said. "You must live. There is no need that you
should die."

"But what shall I live for?" she cried. "And why am I to be spared?
Have you thought of that?"

"Yes," he answered quickly, and gave her a hurried account of his own
thought upon the matter. "If I am right no harm will befall you. And we
must go. It is time. Look!"

A little tongue of flame was creeping through the joining of the logs
at one end of the cabin, and the logs where th