cannot browbeat, nor bully, nor cheat me."

"Yes?"

"Yes. And of one thing I am glad. I shall expect no consideration at
your hands because I am a woman. You will fight me as you would fight
a man."

"Fight you? Why should I fight you? I have no quarrel with you. If
you choose to build a school here, or even a trading-post, I have no
disposition--no right to gainsay you. You will soon tire of your
experiment, and no harm will be done--the North will be unchanged. You
are nothing to me. I care nothing for your opinion of me--considering
its source, I am surprised it is not even worse."

"Impossible! And do not think that I have not had corroborative
evidence. Ocular evidence of your brutal treatment of Mr.
Lapierre--and did I not see with my own eyes the destruction of your
whiskey?"

"What nonsense are you speaking now? My whiskey! Woman--never yet
have I owned any whiskey."

Chloe sneered--"And the Indians--do they not hate you?"

"Yes, those Indians do--and well they may. Most of them have crossed
my path at some time or other. And most of them will cross it
again--at Lapierre's instigation. Some of them I shall have to kill."

"You speak lightly of murder."