Douglas grunted.  The two sat staring at the fire in a silence that was not broken until Judith called from without, “Douglas, I want to see Sioux!”

Douglas took up the lantern and, followed by Fowler, went out.  Judith stood beside Buster.

“You give me the lantern, Doug, and neither of you follow me.  I can manage him best alone.”  She was not gone long.  “He’s not as bad off as I feared,” she said when she returned.  “I’ll let him feed and rest for another hour, then I’ll take him down home where I can tend to him right.”

“Then let’s go in out of the cold,” suggested Fowler.

When they were established around the stove, Judith asked, “How did you and Scott get along, Douglas?”

Douglas told her of the conversation.  Judith looked serious.

“You see, Doug, Dad keeps Scott sore all the time about me.  I don’t think he’d be half so ugly to you if it were not for that.”

“O yes, he would!” replied Douglas.  “Scott and I were born to fight with each other, just like old Prince and Charleton’s Nero.  We can’t help our backs bristling when we see each other.”

“Inez could make Scott behave if she cared anything about it.  Scott isn’t in love with her, but she has a lot of influence over him, like she has over the other men in this valley.”  Judith watched her hunting-boots steam against the hearth.

“She has too much influence over you, Judith,” said Mr. Fowler.

“She’s my friend,” returned Judith briefly.

“Your friend!” cried Fowler.  “Your friend!  Do you realize what you are saying?”

“Yes, I certainly do, and I don’t want a lecture about it either.”  Judith sat erect.

Mr. Fowler leaned forward, his eyes glowing with indignation.  “I’ve swallowed all I can swallow about Inez Rodman.  I allowed Douglas to bring her to the table and I ate with her though my gore rose in my throat.  Because I felt that my only chance to win the confidence of Lost Chief was to countenance for a time that which cannot be countenanced.  But I am through.  How long do you think you can be a friend to Inez, Judith, and not become like her?”

Judith jumped to her feet.  “O, I am so sick of this kind of thing!” she cried.

“Fowler is dead right and you know it, Judith,” said Douglas.

“You don’t dare to say these things to her face!” Judith’s eyes were full of the tears of anger.

“I’d just as soon,” Douglas grinned.

“I’m going to tell her what I think of her and what she is doing to the youth of Lost Chief,” stated Mr. Fowler.

“She’s not a bit worse for Lost Chief than Charleton Falkner,” exclaimed Judith.  “And you don’t pick on him!”

“He couldn’t be as bad as Inez,” insisted the preacher.  “There is nothing so bad for a community as her kind of a woman.”

“That just isn’t so, Mr. Fowler,” protested Douglas.  “Charleton is worse than Inez ever thought of being.  All I’m complaining about is her influence on Judith.”