eem
human. Sam stared at her open-mouthed. She had some birds that she was
skinning and cutting up. The pungent, appetizing smell of wild fowl
greeted his nostrils.

"Well, I'll be damned!" he exclaimed involuntarily. "What does this
mean?"

She disdained any answer.

"You were foolish not to beat it while you had the chance," he said,
forgetting she was supposed not to understand. "This is no place for a
woman!"

She glanced at him with a subtle smile; Sam flushed up. "Oh, very
well!" he said hotly. Turning, he called outside: "Boys, come back!
She's here!"

One by one they straggled in, grinning delightedly, if somewhat
sheepishly. They shook their heads at each other. "We sure have a
queer customer," was the general feeling. It was useless to bombard
her with questions. The language of signs is a feeble means of
communication when one side is intractable.

Apparently she had merely gone to some cache of her own to obtain a
contribution toward the feast. She had brought half a dozen grouse.
The biscuit-loaves were now done sufficiently to stand alone, and the
pans were giving off delicious emanations of frying grouse and bacon.

The four men who, for the past week, had been sunk in utter boredom,
naturally reacted to the other extreme of hilarity. Loud laughter
filled the cabin. The potentialities for trouble were not, however,
lessened. On the contrary, a look or a word was enough at any moment
to bring a snarling pair face to face. Presently the inevitable
suggestion was brought forth.

"This is goin' to be a regular party," cried Joe. "Jack, be a sport;
get out a bottle, and let's do it in style!"

To save himself, Sam could not keep back the protest that sprang to
his lips. "For God's sake!" he cried.

"What the hell is it to you, cook?" cried Joe furiously.

There was old bad blood between these two. Perhaps because they were
of the same age.

Big Jack was bursar and commissary of the expedition. He smiled and
gave his mouth a preliminary wipe. "Well, I think we might stand one
bottle," he said.

Sam shrugged and held his tongue.

Jack returned with one of the precious bottles they had contrived to
smuggle past the police at the Landing. He opened it with loving care,
and the four partners had an appetizer.

When the food was ready, the always unexpected girl refused to sit
with them around the blanket. No amount of urging could move her. She
retired with her own plate to a place beside the