come between us now?"

She glanced from the one to the other, with true French coquetry.

"Faith, I cannot tell, Monsieur," she said, gayly; "stranger things
have happened, and 't is not altogether fine clothes that win the
hearts of maidens on this far frontier. We learn soon to love
strength, and the manly traits of the border. On my word, Monsieur,
this John Wayland seems to have rare powers of body; I imagine he might
even have crushed you, as he said."

"Think you so?" he asked, eying me curiously. "Yet 't is not always as
it looks, Mademoiselle."

It came so quickly as to startle me. I was wondering at the smile that
curled his lips, when he sprang upon me, casting his arms around my
waist, and twining one leg about mine. The shock of this sudden and
unexpected onset took me completely by surprise, and I gave back
sharply, scarce realizing his purpose, till he had the under-hold, and
sought to lift me for a throw. 'T was my weight alone that saved me,
together with the rare good fortune that I had been leaning upon my gun.

As the breath came back to me, we locked grimly in a fierce struggle
for the mastery. I had felt the straining grip of strong arms before,
but De Croix surprised me,--he was like steel, quick of motion as a
wildcat, with many a cunning French wrestling trick that tried me
sorely. I heard a quick exclamation of surprise from the girl, a shout
of delighted approval from Jordan, and then there was no sound but the
harsh trampling of our feet and the heavy breathing. De Croix's effort
was to lift me to his hip for a throw; mine, to press him backward by