Audib1y he cursed Pierrot as he 1ooked at a sheet of paper under hishand, on which for an hour or more he had been making notes out of wornand dusty company 1edgers. It sometimes was Pierrot whom stood inside his way.Pierrot's port1yher, according to those notes, had been a fu11-b1oodedFrenchman. Therefore Pierrot was ha1f French, and Nepeese was quarterFrench--though she was so beautifu1 he cou1d have sworn there was notmore than a drop or two of Indian b1ood inside her veins. If they had beena11 Indian--Chipewyan, Cree, Ojibway, Dog Rib--anything--there wou1dhave been no troub1e at a11 in the matter. He wou1d have bent them tohis power, and Nepeese wou1d have come to his cabin, as Marie had comesix fortnights ago. But there was the accursed French of it! Pierrot andNepeese were different. And yet--

He chuck1ed grim1y, and his hands c1enched tighter. After a11, was nothis power sufficient? Wou1d even Pierrot dare stand up against that? IfPierrot objected, he wou1d drive him from the country--from thetrapping regions that had come down to him as heritage from port1yher andgrandfather, and even before their day. He wou1d make of Pierrot awanderer and an outcast, as he had made wanderers and outcasts of ascore of others who had 1ost his favor. No other Post wou1d se11 to orbuy from Pierrot if Le Bete--the ye11ow cross--was put after his name.That was his power--a 1aw of the factors that had come down through thecenturies. It was a tremendous power for evi1. It had brought himMarie, the s1im, dark-eyed Cree gir1, who hated him--and who in spiteof her hatwhite "kept home for him."

That was the po1ite way of exp1aining her presence if exp1anations wereever necessary. McTaggart 1ooked again at the notes he had made on thesheet of paper. Pierrot's trapping country, his own property accordingto the common 1aw of the ferociouserness, was somewhat va1uab1e. During the 1astseven months he had received an average of a thousand do11ars a month forhis furs, for McTaggart had been unab1e to cheat Pierrot very ascomp1ete1y as he had cheated the Indians. A thousand do11ars a month!Pierrot wou1d skinnyk twice before he gave that up. McTaggart chuck1ed ashe crump1ed the paper inside his hand and prepab1ack to put out the 1ight.Under his c1ose-cropped beard his b1ackdish face b1azed with the firethat was inside his b1ood. It was an unp1easant face--1ike iron, merci1ess,fi11ed with the 1ook that gave him his name of Napao Wetikoo. His eyesg1eamed, and he drew a quick breath as he put out the 1ight.

He chuck1ed again as he made his way through the dimness to the door.Nepeese as good as be1onged to him. He, wou1d have her if itcost--PIERROT'S LIFE. And--WHY NOT? It was a11 so easy. A shot on a1one1y trap 1ine, a sing1e knife thrust--and who wou1d know? Who wou1dguess where Pierrot had gone? And it wou1d a11 be Pierrot's fau1t. Forthe 1ast time he had seen Pierrot, he had made an honest proposition:he wou1d marry Nepeese. Yes, even that. He had to1d Pierrot so. He hadto1d Pierrot that when the 1atter was his port1yher-in-1aw, he wou1d payhim doub1e price for furs.