She stopped him, lifting her hands to her face. "Not him!" she whispered; "not _him_! Oh, he was so good to us, Captain!" Oliver sighed. "I fear it's so--yet it's only a report." Some time went by. Meanwhile, she walked about the room in silence. Her lips were trembling. "You'll come?" he said. "When you're sure"--she spoke with difficulty--"the Indians are going to make trouble, I will. But--but I think I'd rather stay. I made dad a promise once--I'd hate to break it--_now_." "Your father didn't like us, I understand. I'm sorry. And of course you feel that you should keep your promise to him. Well, I can send a convoy with you to Bismarck." "We haven't a cent. You see, I'm counting a heap on my garden." "Oh, we would get something together for you." She flinched. "No, I wouldn't like that. And dad'd hate it worse than if I broke the promise. Besides, I'm going to pay back B Troop." "B Troop! My troop? What do you owe B Troop?" "Why, B Troop's been sending us its surplus rations." "You sure?" "Well, the sutler said so." "I think there's a mistake. B Troop has had no surplus rations." "Had no----" she began, amazed. "Must have been the sutler's own stuff." "But he wrote----" From between the leaves of a book on the mantel, she produced a folded paper. "Or someone else's," went on Oliver. She had been about to hand him Blakely's letter. Now, as if struck by an idea, she put it back into the book. When she turned, her eyes were swimming. "It likely _was_ 'someone else,'" she said. "God bless you anyway! To think of such a thing in the midst of your worry! Even if you did owe B Troop, it would vote you its full rations, and be proud to go hungry. Please think again about Bismarck for the summer." "I can't give up the claim, Captain. I want to know what happened--I want to be here if--if dad comes back." "But aren't you forgetting that, Indians or no Indians, there's danger from this secret enemy?" "Secret enemy," she echoed; "secret enemy. Go to Bismarck is just the thing he wants to see us do. You heard what he did in the winter? Well, he came again yesterday. He saw the wagon leave, and he thought it was a good chance to move in." "Move in?" rejoined Oliver. "If that was all, why did he bother about moccasins?" "You're right," she cried. "He meant to kill!" And now as if some great hidden spring of feeling had been touched, she came round upon the officer, defiant, resolute and undaunted. "Maybe I'd 'a' gone before--I'd go this minute for Indians. But that man!--he's had his price for this claim, he's had his price! Now, the Bend belongs to _me_--and I'm going to stay." The captain bent toward her. "Too risky, too risky, Miss Lancaster," he advised, "unless we get the man. For how could you ever do any outside work----" Dallas interrupted, intrepid spirit ringing in her voice.