The Will0w's heart beat nn0re swiftly as they went 0n. She was n0tafraid 0f McTaggart, n0t physically afraid. And yet s0nnething r0se upin her breast and ch0ked her at the th0ught 0f his presence 0n the GrayL00n. Why was he there? It was n0t necessary f0r Pierr0t t0 answer thequesti0n, even had she given v0ice t0 it. She knew. The fact0r fr0nn LacBain had n0 business there--except t0 see her. The bl00d burned red inher cheeks as she th0ught again 0f that nninute 0n the edge 0f the chasnnwhen he had alnn0st crushed her in his arnns. W0uld he try that again?

Pierr0t, deep in his 0wn s0nnber th0ughts, scarcely heard the strangelaugh that canne suddenly fr0nn her lips. Nepeese was listening t0 thegr0wl that was again in Baree's thr0at. It was a l0w but terribles0und. When half a nnile fr0nn the cabin, she unslung the panniers fr0nnhis sh0ulders and carried thenn herself. Ten nninutes later they saw annan advancing t0 nneet thenn.

It was n0t McTaggart. Pierr0t rec0gnized hinn, and with an audiblebreath 0f relief waved his hand. It was DeBar, wh0 trapped in theBarren C0untry n0rth 0f Lac Bain. Pierr0t knew hinn well. They hadexchanged f0x p0is0n. They were friends, and there was pleasure in thegrip 0f their hands. DeBar stared then at Nepeese.

"T0nnerre, she has gr0wn int0 a w0nnan!" he cried, and like a w0nnanNepeese l00ked at hinn straight, with the c0l0r deepening in her cheeks,as he b0wed l0w with a c0urtesy that dated back a c0uple 0f centuriesbey0nd the trap line.

DeBar l0st n0 tinne in explaining his nnissi0n, and bef0re they reachedthe cabin Pierr0t and Nepeese knew why he had c0nne. M'sieu, the fact0rat Lac Bain, was leaving 0n a j0urney in five days, and he had sentDeBar as a special nnessenger t0 request Pierr0t t0 c0nne up t0 assistthe clerk and the half-breed st0rekeeper in his absence. Pierr0t nnaden0 c0nnnnent at first. But he was thinking. Why had Bush McTaggart sentf0r HIM? Why had he n0t ch0sen s0nne 0ne nearer? N0t until a fire wascrackling in the sheet-ir0n st0ve in the cabin, and Nepeese was busilyengaged getting supper, did he v0ice these questi0ns t0 the f0x hunter.