"I say he shall not stay!" roared old Louie. "Aw, don't roar about it!" snapped Bud. "Ain't a feller got any right to a defense? The Mounted kicked me out without any argument. But I don't mind. The only time a king means anythin' to me is in a poker game. "I expect to leave this place. There ain't nothin' for me here--now," Bud's voice was pitched lower. "But I'll be damned if anybody is goin' to run me out. Nobody asks me if I done this." Norah started to speak, but the doctor motioned her to silence. Clarey was a sour-faced old Irish doctor, very strong in his likes and dislikes, but with a heart of gold that he tried to conceal from the world. "Conley, my lad," he said, trying to force his voice to be gruff, "perhaps we've been a bit too quick, but the evidence is against ye; so heavily against ye that we've given no thought to your defense. Have ye any?" Bud shook his head and grinned at the doctor. "Nope. I don't know a danged thing about it. What is there against me, except that I was found with the little girl?" Louie Beaudet started forward, but the doctor blocked him again. "Marie see you!" exploded Louie angrily. "She seen me?" Bud scratched his head wonderingly. "She don't know what happened," explained the doctor. "She says she was coming from my cabin. It was a bit after dark. A man grasped her and something struck her on the head. She has a faint memory of someone giving her a drink of strong liquor, and in an interval of half-consciousness she saw the scarlet jacket of the Mounted." "And h'every man of de force be here at de pos', except you!" exclaimed Louie, shaking with anger. "You are de man!" "And we were found together this morning, eh?" "Pierre Ravalli was bad cut in a fight," said Joe, "and I'm come here for de doctor. When we go back we find you beside de road." [Illustration] Dr. Clarey nodded sadly. "That is true." "Did Ravalli die?" asked Bud. "He's not hurt so bad," said Joe quickly. "I leave de doctor with you, while I go after wagon to bring you back, and I find that Pierre is much better." "Was Marie hurt much?" asked Bud. "Not badly," replied the doctor. "The blow on her head caused a bad swelling, but she is very ill today from the shock." For several moments no one spoke, and then the doctor said softly, "And she was to marry Joe Burgoyne next week." Bud turned and looked at Joe, who had come back between the counters and was leaning an elbow on a pile of colored blankets. "And now he won't marry her, eh?" queried Bud. Joe's eyes flashed to Louie Beaudet, and then he looked away. It was evident that Joe was not going to keep his part of the marriage compact. Old Louie bowed his head and turned toward the rear of the room. The disgrace of it was too much for the old man to face them now. Joe turned away, too, as though to leave the store, but Bud caught him by the shoulder and whirled him around.