Big Lena shifted her weight ponderously, and the stare of the china-blue eyes met steadily the half-startled eyes of the girl.  “Yah, Ay seen das all right.  Dem Injuns dey awful drunk das night and MacNair he come ’long and schlap dem and kick dem ’round.  But das gude for dem.  Dey got it comin’.  Dey should not ought to drink Lapierre’s vhiskey.”

“Lapierre’s whiskey!” cried the girl.  “Are you crazy?”

“Naw, Ay tank Ay ain’t so crazy.  Lapierre he fool ju long tam’.”

“What do you mean,” asked Chloe.

“Ah, das a’right,” answered the woman.  “He fool ju gude, but he ain’t fool Big Lena.  Ay know all about him for a jear.”

“But,” pursued the girl, “Lapierre was with us that night!”

Lena shrugged.  “Yah, Lapierre very smart.  He send LeFroy ‘long wit’ das vhiskey.  Den v’en he know MacNair’s Injuns git awful drunk, he tak’ ju ’long for see it.”

“LeFroy!” cried Chloe.  “Why, LeFroy was off to the eastward trying to run down some whiskey-runners.”

Big Lena laughed derisively.  “How ju fin’ out?” she asked.

Chloe hesitated.  “Why—­why, Lapierre told me.”

Again Big Lena laughed.  “Yah, Lapierre tal ju, but, LeFroy, he don’t know nuthin’ ’bout no vhiskey-runners.  Only him and Lapierre dos all de vhiskey-running in dis country.  LeFroy, he tal me all ’bout das.  He tak’ das vhiskey up dere and he sell it to MacNair’s Injuns, and MacNair shoot after him and kill two LeFroy’s men.  Ay goin’ marry LeFroy, and he tal me de trut’.  He ’fraid to lie to me, or Ay break him in two.  LeFroy, he bane gude man now, he quit Lapierre.  Ju bet ju if he don’t bane gude Ay gif him haal.  Ay tal him it bane gude t’ing if MacNair kill him das night.

“Den MacNair come on de school and brung de policeman, LeFroy he ’fraid for scart, and he goin’ hide in de kitchen, and Ay drag him out and brung him ’long to see MacNair.  LeFroy, he ‘fraid lak’ haal.  He squeal MacNair goin’ kill him.  But Ay tal him das ain’t much loss annyhow.  If he goin’ kill him it’s besser he kill him now, den Ay ain’t got to bodder wit’ him no more.  But MacNair, he don’t kill him.  Ay tal him LeFroy goin’ to be gude man now, and den MacNair he laugh, and tal LeFroy to go ’long and git out de grub.”

“But,” cried Chloe, “you say you have known all about Lapierre for a year, and you knew all the time that MacNair was right, and Lapierre was wrong, and you let me go blindly on thinking Lapierre was my friend, and treating MacNair as I did!  Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Ju got yoost so manny eyes lak’ me!” retorted the woman.  “Ju neffer ask me vat Ay tank ’bout MacNair and ’bout Lapierre.  And Ay neffer tal ju das ‘cause Ay tank it besser ju fin’ out yourself.  Ay know ju got to fin’ das out sometam’.  Den ju believe it.  Ju know lot ’bout vat stands in de books, but das mos’ lak’ MacNair say:  ’bout lot t’ing, you damn fool!”