“And the message—­what would it be?”

“It would bring Meleese up to this cabin—­to-night.”

“Are you sure, M’seur?”

“I am certain that it would.  Will you go?”

“Non, M’seur.”

“The devil take you!” cried Howland angrily.  “If I was not certain that I would need you later I’d garrote you where you sit.”

He rose and went to the old stove.  It was still capable of holding fire, and as it had grown too dark outside for the smoke to be observed from the post, he proceeded to prepare a supper of hot coffee and meat.  Jean watched him in silence, and not until food and drink were on the table did the engineer himself break silence.

“Of course, I’m not going to feed you,” he said curtly, “so I’ll have to free your hands.  But be careful.”

He placed his revolver on the table beside him after he had freed Croisset.

“I might assassinate you with a fork!” chuckled the Frenchman softly, his black eyes laughing over his coffee cup.  “I drink your health, M’seur, and wish you happiness!”

“You lie!” snapped Howland.

Jean lowered the cup without drinking.

“It’s the truth, M’seur,” he insisted.  “Since that bee-utiful fight back there I can not help but wish you happiness.  I drink also to the happiness of Meleese, also to the happiness of those who tried to kill you on the trail and at the coyote.  But, Mon Dieu, how is it all to come?  Those at the post are happy because they believe that you are dead.  You will not be happy until they are dead.  And Meleese—­how will all this bring happiness to her?  I tell you that I am as deep in trouble as you, M’seur Howland.  May the Virgin strike me dead if I’m not!”

He drank, his eyes darkening gloomily.  In that moment there flashed into Howland’s mind a memory of the battle that Jean had fought for him on the Great North Trail.

“You nearly killed one of them—­that night—­at Prince Albert,” he said slowly.  “I can’t understand why you fought for me then and won’t help me now.  But you did.  And you’re afraid to go down there—­”

“Until I have regrown a beard,” interrupted Jean with a low chuckling laugh.  “You would not be the only one to die if they saw me again like this.  But that is enough, M’seur.  I will say no more.”

“I really don’t want to make you uncomfortable, Jean,” Howland apologized, as he secured the Frenchman’s hands again after they had satisfied their hearty appetites, “but unless you swear by your Virgin or something else that you will make no attempt to call assistance I shall have to gag you.  What do you say?”

“I will make no outcry, M’seur.  I give you my word for that.”

With another length of babeesh Howland tied his companion’s legs.

“I’m going to investigate a little,” he explained.  “I am not afraid of your voice, for if you begin to shout I will hear you first.  But with your legs free you might take it into your head to run away.”