of a
bad-tempered schoolboy. "If you don't treat me right you'll see if I
am. I'll out with the story to-night before them all, before Sam."

"What story?" asked Bela. "You crazy, I t'ink."

"The story of how you're paying Sam's wages."

Bela stopped dead, and went pale. She struggled hard to command
herself. "It's a lie!" she said.

"Like fun it is!" cried Joe, triumphing. "I got it bit by bit, and
pieced it all together. I'm a little too clever for you, I guess. I
know the whole thing now. How your father left the money to Musq'oosis
when he died, and Musq'oosis bought the team from Mahooley, and made
him give it to Sam to drive. I can see Sam's face when I tell that and
hear all the fellows laugh."

Bela abandoned the useless attempt to bluff it out. She came opposite
to where he was sitting, and put her hands on the table. "If you tell
that I kill you!" she said softly.

Joe leaned back. "Pooh! You can't scare a man with threats like that.
After I tell the mischief's done, anyhow."

"I will kill you!" she said again.

Joe laughed. "I'll take my chance of it." Hitting out at random, he
said: "I'll bet it was you scared the white woman into fits!"

To save herself Bela could not help betraying it in her face. Joe
laughed uproariously.

"Gad! That'll make another good story to tell!"

"I will kill you!" repeated Bela dully.

Something in her desperate eyes warned him that one might press a
primitive nature too far. He changed his tone.

"Mind you, I don't say I'm going to tell. I don't mean to tell if you
do what I want."

"What you want?" she asked softly with glittering eyes.

"Not to be treated like dirt under anybody's feet, that's all," he
replied threateningly. "To be treated as good as anybody else. You
understand me?"

"I mak' no promise," said Bela.

"Well you know what you've got to expect if you don't."

CHAPTER XXI

SAM IS LATE

On the afternoon of the same day, Sam, clattering back from Graves's
camp in his empty wagon, suddenly came upon Musq'oosis squatting like
a little Buddha under a willow bush.

The spot was at the edge of the wide flats at the head of Beaver Bay.
Immediately beyond the road turned and followed the higher ground
along the water into the settlement. It was about half a mile to
Bela's shack. Musq'oosis rose, and Sam pulled up.

"Come aboard," invited Sam. "What are you waiting up here for?"

"Waitin' for you," replied Musq'oosis.

He climbed in