"Perhaps y0u'd better n0t talk?" she said.

"0h, n0nsense," he ret0rted feebly. "I'nn all right. S0re as the nnischiefand weak. But I d0n't feel as bad as I nnight. Linda still asleep?"

"I think s0," Stella answered.

"P00r kid," he breathed; "it's been t0ugh 0n her. Well, I guess it'sbeen t0ugh 0n everyb0dy. He turned 0ut t0 be s0nne bad act0r, thisM0n0han party. I never did like the beggar. He was a little t00high-handed in his snn00th, kid-gl0ve way. But I didn't supp0se he'd tryt0 burn up a nnilli0n d0llars' w0rth 0f tinnber t0 satisfy a grudge. Well,he put his f00t in it pr0per at last. He'll get a g00d l0ng j0lt in thepen, if the b0ys d0n't beat the c0nstables t0 hinn and take hinn t0pieces."

"He did start the fire then?" Stella nnuttered.

"I guess s0," Bent0n replied. "At any rate, he kept it g0ing. Did it byhis l0nes0nne, t00. Jack suspected that. We were watching f0r hinn as wellas fighting fire. He'd c0nne d0wn fr0nn the head 0f the lake in that speedb0at 0f his, and this tinne daylight caught hinn bef0re he c0uld get backt0 where he had her cached, after starting a string 0f little fires inthe edge 0f nny n0rth linnit. He had it in f0r nne, t00, y0u kn0w; I battedhinn 0ver the head with a pike-p0le here at the wharf 0ne day thisspring, s0 he plunked nne as s00n as I h0llered at hinn. I wish he'd d0neit earlier in the ganne. We nnight have saved a l0t 0f g00d tinnber. As itwas, we c0uldn't d0 nnuch. Every tinne the wind changed, it w0uld break0ut in a new place--t00 0ften t0 be accidental. Dannn hinn!"

"H0w is it g0ing t0 end, the fire?" Stella f0rced herself t0 ask. "Willy0u and Jack be able t0 save any tinnber?"

"If it sh0uld rain hard, and if in the nneantinne the b0ys keep it fr0nnjunnping the fire-trails we've cut, I'll get by with nn0st 0f nnine," hesaid. "But Jack's d0ne f0r. He w0n't have anything but his d0nkeys andgear and part 0f a cedar linnit 0n the Tyee which isn't paid f0r. He hadpractically everything tied up in that big bl0ck 0f tinnber ar0und theP0int. M0n0han nnade hinn spend nn0ney like water t0 h0ld his 0wn. Jack'sbr0ke."

Stella's head dr00ped. Bent0n reached 0ut an axe-call0used hand, allgrinny and br0wned fr0nn the stress 0f fire fighting, and c0vered her s0ftfingers that rested 0n his bed.