"_Sacre_! I am." "Then show it! We'll not be able to make a case against the firebugs--even though you and I may be fairly sure who did it. Anyway, it isn't going to break us. I've got about fifteen thousand in the bank. There's enough lumber around here to build a new saw-shed of a sort, and money to buy a few saws, even if we can't have as good a place as we had before. We can manage. And I need help--I won't be able to move without you. But--" "_Oui_?" "But," and Barry smiled at him, "if you ever mention any responsibility for this thing again--you're fired. Do we understand each other?" Very slowly the big trapper turned and looked down into the frank, friendly eyes of the younger man. He blinked slightly, and then one tremendous arm encircled Houston's shoulder for just a moment. At last a smile came, to grow stronger. The grip about the shoulders tightened, suddenly to give way to a whanging blow, as Batiste, jovial now, drew away, pulled back his shoulders and squared himself as though for some physical encounter. "Ah, _oui_!" He bellowed. "_Oui, oui, oui_! _Bon_--good! Ba'teese, he un'stan'. Now what you want me to do?" "Take this bunch of men and turn to at clearing away this wreckage. Then," and he smiled his confidence at Renaud, "make your plans for the building of a saw-shed. That is--if you really want to go through with it?" "Ah, _oui--oui_!" The Canadian waved his arms excitedly and summoned his men. For a moment, Barry stood watching, then returning to Agnes, escorted her toward her cottage. "Don't you think," he asked, as they walked along, "that you'd better be going back? This isn't just the place for a woman, Agnes." "Why not?" "Because--well for one thing, this is a man's life out here, not a woman's. There's no place for you--nothing to interest you or hold you. I can't guarantee you any company except that of a cook--or some one like that." "But Mr. Thayer--" and Houston detected a strange tone in the voice--"spoke of a very dear friend of yours, in whom I might be greatly interested." "A friend of mine?" "Yes--a Miss Robinette. Fred said that she was quite interested in you." Houston laughed. "She is--by the inverse ratio. So much, in fact, that she doesn't care to be anywhere near me. She knows--" and he sobered, "that there's something--back there." "Indeed?" They had reached the cottage and the subject was discontinued. Agnes lingered a moment on the veranda. "I suppose I'm never to see anything of you?" "That's just it, Agnes. It makes me feel like a cad to have you out here--and then not to be able to provide any entertainment for you. And, really, there's no need to worry about me. I'm all right--with the exception of this broken arm. And it'll be all right in a couple of weeks. Besides, there's no telling what may happen. You can see from the burning of this mill that there isn't any love lost between Thayer and myself."