"Anah-a! a bag of a squaw, ees eet?" and Wolf-Voice ran out to head a pack-horse into the line of flight. Coming back he continued: "Say, Meester Harding, dese woman he ver often mak' man wan' kiell some ozer man. I have done dose ting." "Whew!" said Harding, in amazement, but he caught himself. "But, Wolf-Voice, we do not want our friend Ermine to do it, and I want you to promise me you will help me to keep him from doing it." "'Spose I say, 'Ermine, you no kiell Meester Butler'--he teel me to go to hell, mabeso--what den?" "Oh, he may calm down later." "Na--Engun she no forget," cautioned the half-breed. "But Ermine is not an Indian." "Na, but she all de same Engun," which was true so far as that worthy could see. "If we do not stop him from killing Butler, he will hang or be shot for it, sooner or later, and that is certain," said Harding. "Yees--yees; deese white man have funny way when one man kiell 'nozer. Ermine ees brave man--he eese see red, an' he wiell try eet eef he do hang. No one eese able for stop heem but deese Crooked-Bear," observed the half-breed. "Is Crooked-Bear an Indian chief?" "Na; she ain' Enjun, she ain' white man; she come out of the groun'. Hees head eet waas so big an' strong eet were break hees back for to carry eet." "Where does this person live?" ventured Harding. "Where she eese lieve, ah?--where Ermine an' his pony can find heem," was the vague reply. "You no wan' Ermine for kiell deese Butler; weel den, you say, 'Ermine, you go see Crooked-Bear--you talk wid heem.' I weel take you where you wan' go een de montaign for get de grizzly bear." "I suppose that is the only solution, and I suppose it is my duty to do it, though the thing plays havoc with my arrangements." Later the trail steepened and wound its tortuous way round the pine and boulders, the ponies grunting under their burdens as they slowly pushed their toilsome way upwards. When Ermine turned here to look back he could see a long day's march on the trail, and he no longer worried concerning any pursuit which might have been in progress. They found their beds early, all being exhausted by the long day's march, particularly the fugitive scout. On the following morning, Harding suggested that he and Ermine begin the hunting, since fresh meat was needed in camp; so they started. In two hours they had an elk down and were butchering him. The antlers were in the velvet and not to the head-hunter's purpose. Making up their package of meat and hanging the rest out of the way of prowling animals, to wait a pack-horse, they sat down to smoke. "Are you still intending to kill Mr. Butler?" ventured Harding. "Yes, when you are through hunting, I shall begin--begin to hunt Butler." "You will find your hunting very dangerous, Ermine," ventured Harding. "It does not matter; he has got the girl, and he may have my life or I shall have his."