The figure came closer to her, and she saw that it was a woman. A
horrible prescience of what was coming still further demoralized her.
Women do not require explanations in words. Miss Mackall recognized
the adventuress of Musquasepi, and knew what she had come for. She
sought to temporize.

"What do you want?" she faltered.

"I want kill you," said Bela softly. "My finger is hungry for the
trigger."

She moved slightly, and a spot of light caught the barrel of the rifle
over her arm. Miss Mackall moaned again.

"What did I ever do to you?" she wailed.

"You know," replied Bela grimly. "You tried tak' my man."

"How r-ridiculous!" stuttered Miss Mackall. "He isn't yours."

"Maybe," returned Bela. "Not yet. But no ot'er woman goin' get him
from me."

"It isn't my fault if he wants me."

"Want you!" cried Bela scornfully. "An old woman! You try catch him
lak he a fish!"

Miss Mackall broke into a low, hysterical weeping.

"Shut up!" said Bela. "Listen to w'at I say."

"Let me go! Let me go!" wept the other woman. "I'll scream!"

"No, you won't," said Bela coolly. "You not want Gilbert Beattie know
you run out at night."

"I won't be murdered in cold blood! I won't! I won't!"

"Shut up!" said Bela. "I not goin' kill you jus' yet. Not if you do
what I want."

Miss Mackall stopped weeping. "What do you want?" she asked eagerly.

"You got go 'way from here," said Bela coolly.

"What do you mean?"

"Bishop Lajeunesse goin' back down lake day after to-morrow. If you
here after he gone I kill you."

A little assurance began to return to Miss Mackall. After all, it was
not a supernatural, but a very human enemy with whom she had to deal.

"Are you crazy?" she demanded with quavering dignity.

"Yes," replied Bela calmly. "So they say."

"Oh!" sneered Miss Mackall. "Do you think I shall pay any attention to
your threats? I have only to speak a word to my brother-in-law and you
will be arrested."

"They got catch me first," said Bela. "No white man can follow me in
the bush. I go where I want. Always I will follow you--wit' my gun."

The white woman's voice broke again. "If anything happened to me,
you'd be tried and hung for murder!"

"What do a crazy woman care for that?" asked Bela.

Miss Mackall commenced to weep again.

Bela suddenly stepped aside. "Run home!" she said contemptuously.
"Better pack your trunk."

Miss Mackall's legs suddenly recovered their function, and she sped up
the tr