He stepped off the porch and headed straight for Beaudet's store. Bud was not the kind that waited for trouble to come to him. His mind was a total blank as to what he had done after taking that one drink, but he felt sure that he had nothing to do with the plight of little Marie Beaudet. He knew that it had been a frame-up, but just why they had included the half-breed girl in it he had no idea. Magee was responsible for the doping, and Bud felt sure that Magee had done it to disgrace him with the Mounted and get him out of the way. Louis Beaudet and Dr. Clarey were standing near the center of the room, talking softly, while Joe Burgoyne sat on a counter beyond them, staring at the floor. Bud stopped near old Louis, who looked up at him. "You?" said Louie hoarsely. "You come here--you?" He made a move, as though to reach for Bud, but the doctor grasped him by the arm. "Softly, me old friend," he begged. Came the sudden creak of the rough counter and Joe Burgoyne, the half-breed, flung himself straight at Bud, a knife in his hand. Burgoyne was only about ten feet away, and his spring was like that of a panther, but Bud was not caught napping. [Illustration] Swiftly he side-stepped just in time to avoid Joe's rush, and as Joe flashed past him, Bud hooked him across the ankles with his foot, sending the half-breed spinning against the counter across the room. The fight was all taken out of Joe. His long-bladed knife had flipped out of his hand and skidded under the counter--and Joe was not a bare-handed fighter. He swore softly and felt of his face, which had come into rasping contact with the rough counter. "If I didn't feel sorry for yuh, I'd tie yuh in a knot and leave yuh to starve," declared Bud. "Sorry?" Old Louie started forward. "You sorry?" "Yeah," nodded Bud. "W'at you sorry for, policeman?" "I ain't no policeman now," said Bud. "I'm fired." It took Louie several moments to digest this bit of information. "So? Yo' not be de policeman now, eh? Not'ing to keep me from kill you now, eh?" he asked finally. "Nobody but me. Mebbe I'll object." Bud was in just the right mood to battle everyone in Eagle's Nest. Joe got up slowly, holding to the counter, while Dr. Clarey still clung to Louie's arm, talking soothingly. Someone was coming into the store, and Bud turned to see Norah Clarey. She stopped and looked at Bud, and her dark eyes were filled with pain. She turned and looked at Joe. He tried to smile, but it was more of a smirk. Then she ignored Bud and spoke directly to Louie and her father. "I have heard of the swift justice of the North, but it seems to have been only idle talk." "W'at you mean?" asked Louie. "You would let this man stay here, after what he has done?" "He shall not stay," declared Joe firmly. "You better run along and find your knife, Breed," said Bud. "Breed!" exploded Joe. "You'll pay for----" Bud whirled and started toward Joe, who got swiftly out of the way by vaulting the counter.