en. Ain't got no ear for music."

"He'd be in trouble down below, too," said Jack. "He'd undertake to
show the Old Boy himself how to build a fire."

Outside the pine branches thrashed wildly, and gusts of rain were
flung against the panes of the little window above the players' heads.
Water found its way through more than one place in the sod roof and
dripped sullenly on the floor. From time to time the game shifted,
seeking a dry spot.

On such a day the pioneers were keenly conscious of their isolation.
The emptiness of the land seemed to press upon their breasts,
hindering free breathing. Moreover, their nerves were still jangling
as a result of the night's events.

Such was their situation when, without warning, the latch of the door
clicked.

They froze in their card-playing attitudes, turning horrified eyes in
the direction of the sound. The door opened inward, and a ghastly
moment passed before they could see what was behind it. Then each
man's breath escaped with a little sound of amazement and awe.

It was Bela.

CHAPTER VI

A FRESH SURPRISE

Raindrops sparkled like diamonds in Bela's dark hair and upon her
glowing cheeks. She was, as ever, composed and inscrutable. In one
swift glance around she took in the whole scene--the cardplayers under
the window, Sam arrested at his pan of dough, and the injured man
breathing hard upon the bed.

She went toward the latter with a noiseless, gliding motion.

"Mak' water hot," she said coolly over her shoulder to Sam. "Get clean
rags for bandage."

Jack and his mates, hearing the English speech, glanced at each other
meaningly. Nevertheless, speech humanized her, and they relaxed.

There was no leaping up of the unholy fires of the night before. They
regarded her with great, new respect. They remained sitting
motionless, absorbed in her every move, like the spectators of a play.

At the sound of her voice the injured man opened his eyes with a
grunt. Seeing her, he rolled away as far as he could get on the bed,
crying out in mingled pain and terror:

"Keep her away! Keep her away! Don't let her get me!"

Bela fell back with a scornful smile.

"Tell him I not hurt him," she said to Sam, who had gone to her. "Tell
him I come to mak' him well."

Sam sought in vain to reassure Husky.

"I won't let her touch me!" the injured man cried. "She's a witch!"

"Let be," she said to Sam, shrugging. "I tell you w'at to do."

Under her direction Sam c