interest in them as to visit them in such fashion? As she pursued the idea Ainley's suggestions came back to her with hateful force, and she remembered the Indian girl's attitude after Stane's departure. Other things she remembered and her mind echoed the words which had awakened the man's anger at the time they were uttered.

"Behold an idyll of the land!"

She remembered the girl's wild beauty, her manifest interest in Stane, and once again she was conscious of the hot flame of jealousy in her heart. It stung her to think that possibly this man, whom she had learned to love, had an interest in this girl, who though no better than a savage was rarely beautiful. She laughed in sudden bitterness and scorn of herself, and at the laugh Stane turned quickly towards her.

"What is it?" he asked.

'Just a thought!" she answered easily, though her face flushed.

He

Stane did not ask her what the thought was. was conscious of something enigmatic in her attitude, and her evident reserve for a second time prevented him from pursuing the matter further. He waited a moment, then he uttered the thought which had been in his own mind.

"When the storm is over and there is a crust on the snow we will go exploring together. We may find the camp from which this woman comes. If the air keeps still through the night, it will be quite easy to follow her trail in the snow."

Helen looked at him with eyes half-veiled under her long lashes. Did he suspect who the intruder was?

"You are very anxious to find this woman of mystery?" she asked.

"Not particularly so," he laughed in reply, "but I shall be very glad to find out who our neighbours are, and to learn whether we can secure any help from them."

The girl was reassured by the unconcerned answer. It seemed clear now that Miskodeed had not even occurred to his mind, and the reserve in her manner disappeared.

"You think we shall be dependent on their help? she asked. "You are afraid that we shall not weather through by ourselves?"

Stane laughed again. "Oh no! I have no fears on that score; but it will depend on their possession of dogs whether we have to camp here all winter or not; for we could not possibly make Fort Malsun without them, particularly as I do not know the overland trail. Not that the knowledge is really essential now, since judging from the fact that Ainley went down the lake it seems likely that there is a way to Malsun river in that direction. But we simply must have dogs."

"Then in the morning we follow the mysterious one's trail? "

"Yes, if there is no wind or snow in the night."

But in the night there was both wind and snow and on the morrow the woman's trail was quite obliterated and the snow on the lake made travelling

impossible. Helen Yardely noted the fact without regret.

"There will be no exploring party today," she said, "so I will go and look at my rabbit snares." "And I will accompany you," answered Stane, the walk in the snow will help to take the stiffness out of my leg."

They set out together, but had gone but a little way when the girl gave a sharp "Hist!"

"What is it?" he asked quietly, thinking that she had seen game of some kind.

There is a man in those bushes in front of us," she answered in a whisper.

66 A man. Are you sure?"

I am quite sure. I saw him slip across that open space there. He has a gun.'

The bushes she had indicated were about three hundred yards away, and Stane examined them keenly. He could see nothing, however, and at the conclusion of his scrutiny he said: "I will go forward. You remain here, Miss Yardely."

66

No," she answered. "I will go with you,

would rather."

I

They advanced together, Stane with his rifle ready for action, since a presence that avoided them might well prove to be an inimical one. He watched the bushes steadily as they advanced but saw nothing and when they reached them, thinking that the girl had been mistaken, he thrust his way through them. Then he stood quite still with an anxious look upon his face. There was no one behind the bushes, but there were the marks of moccasined

feet in the snow. He looked down at them, then followed the direction of them with his eyes, and stared into the forest, and as he did so, in its dim recesses, thought he saw the figure of a man slip behind a tree. He still waited and watched, but the figure did not re-appear, then Helen who had walked round the bushes spoke.

"There was some one here!

"Yes," he answered, "and whoever it was did not wish to encounter us. He has made his way

into the wood."

"What do you think it means?"

"I do not know," he answered, "but I am afraid that there are hostile Indians about us."

"You think they are watching the cabin-watching us, for a chance to attack?"

"It has that appearance," answered Stane quietly. The girl was silent for a moment, then she gave a little laugh that had in it a ring of courage. am not afraid, but I wish we had another rifle."

"T

Stane flashed at her a glance of admiration, then gave another long look into the silent wood which now seemed full of menace.

"Perhaps we had better return to the cabin." "No," answered the girl stubbornly. "We will look at the snares first. I'm not going to be frightened from my dinner by a wandering Indian.” And they went forward together.

CHAPTER XV

A FACE AT THE TENT-DOOR

OOK," cried Helen. "Look!"

They had almost reached the cabin on the

return journey and were full in view of the lake. As she cried the words she pointed over its snow-laden surface, and Stane, looking in the direction indicated, saw that which made his heart leap. A dog-team was coming up the lake, with a man on snow-shoes packing the trail in front.

"Who can it be?" asked the girl in some excite

ment.

"The owner of the cabin for a certainty! answered Stane, conscious of a sudden relief from the anxiety which the morning had brought.

"Then," answered the girl quietly, "you wait to welcome him, whilst I go and prepare a meal."

She passed into the cabin, whilst Stane walked down to the shore of the lake. The traveller whoever he was, was making directly for the cabin, and watching, Stane saw that he walked wearily as if he had come far, or was suffering from some weakness. It was quite an appreciable time before he saw Stane standing to welcome him, and when he did so, he gave a joyous shout. Stane answered the hail, and a few minutes later when the man