"You will make Scott sore at you," replied Inez. "I haven't any quarrel with Scott myself, but I know he has a mean streak in him. If he thinks you are in cahoots with Nelson he will make you trouble." "I'm not afraid of Scott," said Peter. "Well, you'll need to be if you mix up in his affairs. He holds grudges over nothing." "Awful bad man, Scott!" Douglas spoke with his quiet smile. "I'm telling you he is!" insisted Inez. "He's been more than half in love with Judith for years and he'd just as soon double-cross Jude as anybody else. I want you to let him alone, please, Peter." Peter was watching Judith. Only Douglas seemed aware of the concentrated entreaty in Inez' voice. "Poor Inez," he thought, "if she's caring for Peter, she'll be having her own little double Hades for everything she's done." He looked at Peter. Judith was staring thoughtfully at the stove and the postmaster's deep eyes were fastened on the girl's fine, clean-cut features, with a burning fire that suddenly brought Doug's heart to his throat. "What's your opinion of Scott, Judith?" asked Peter. "The same as Inez'. But I can't help liking him. He's done me lots of favors and he's kept me from making a fool of myself a number of times, even if he did double-cross me once. And he admires me. He certainly does!" She laughed with girlish naïveté and the others joined her. "Then you must like me too!" said Peter. "You are a nice old gentleman," retorted Judith. Peter's lips closed grimly. The preacher spoke with sudden vehemence. "Yet you people are allowing this same Scott to try to destroy Douglas' dream for Lost Chief." "I say Scott is a valuable citizen," drawled Charleton. "He guards us from Mormons, from Christians, and from wild women." Douglas did not join in the laugh that greeted this sally. An entirely new fear had come upon him. He bit his lip and stared from Judith to Peter and back again. Inez rose suddenly. "Well, the moon is up. Come, Judith! It's time for wild women to retire to their caves." Judith gave a gigantic yawn, stretched her beautiful long body till the tips of her fingers almost touched the low rafters, and said, "It's a good thing Charleton and Peter will be going along to protect us from Scott, the bad man." The four presently jingled off down the snowy trail. Prince took up his shivering night-watch on the steps. Douglas and Mr. Fowler looked at each other soberly and went to bed. CHAPTER XIII PRINCE GOES MARCHING ON "A wise dog won't tackle a trapped wolverine." --_Old Prince_. The next morning Johnny Brown trotted up on his old cow-pony. The preacher and Douglas were at breakfast. All the world was bristling with frost and a million opalescent lights danced on every snowdrift. Douglas swung the door open. "Well, Johnny, did you finally break away from everybody?" The little old man slid briskly from the saddle, brushed the icicles from his beard, and grinned broadly.