"Mr. Papineau's errand was to telegraph for the doctor," she replied, with a hand pressed to her bosom. "At--at first, when I heard you coming, I thought he had perhaps arrived and--and that you were intending to take him away. Do--do you really think he's going to die?" "Well, I'm scared it looks a good deal that way. Of course we might be able to take him in the sleigh, but--but he don't look much as if he could stand the trip--does he?--an'--an' I don't reckon we can do much good stayin' round here either." He stepped over to the door and opened it. "That gal's right," he said. "Hugo looks desperate sick." "Sure it ain't nothin' that's ketchin', are ye?" asked his wife, drawing back a little. "I didn't never hear that pistol bullets was contagious," he answered. "But who did it?" cried McIntosh. "And--and how d'ye know 'twas just an accident. Seems to me we'd ought to find out something more about it. It--it don't sound just natural." "I tell you he was shot by accident. I did it, God forgive me," faltered Madge. Sophy McGurn, at this, pushed her way forward until she stood in front of Madge, and pointed an accusing finger at her. Her eyes were flashing. To Maigan her move seemed a threatening one and she recoiled as the animal crouched a little, with fangs bare and lips slavering. "Hold him, miss, hold him quick!" cried Aleck Mclntosh. "Git back there, Sophy, what's the matter with ye? D'ye want to be torn to pieces? What's that ye was goin' to say?" "She--she never shot him by accident! She--she did it on purpose, for revenge, that's what she did, the she-devil!" She was still standing before Madge and her voice was shaking with excitement, while her arms and hands trembled with her passion. "What's all that?" cried Pat Kilrea. "Ye wasn't here to see, was ye? How d'ye know she done it a-purpose, for revenge? Ye must have some reason for sayin' such things. Out with 'em!" But now Sophy was shrinking back, afraid of her own outburst, fearing that she might have revealed something. Her voice shook again as she replied. "I--I ain't got any reason," she stammered. "I--I was just thinking so. It--it came to me all of a sudden. Maybe I'm mistaken." "Mistaken, was it?" asked Pat Kilrea. "Folks ain't got any right to be mistaken when it comes to accusin' others of murder. If you hadn't had some reason to speak that way ye'd have kept yer mouth shut, I'm thinking. Why don't ye come right out with it?" "I--I didn't really mean anything by it," stammered Sophy again. "What revenge was that you was referring to?" he persisted. "Nothing--nothing at all. How should I know what she would do?" "Then you ought to have kept still an' held yer tongue," said Pat.