tragedy there. And what would happen--now? The thought came to him like
a dash of cold water, and yet, after a moment, his teeth gleamed in a
smile as a vision rose before him of the love and purity which he had
seen in the sweet face of the colonel's wife. He chuckled softly to
himself as he dragged out a pack from under his bunk; but there was no
humor in the chuckle. From it he took a bundle wrapped in soft
birch-bark, and from this produced the skull that he had brought up with
him from the South. There was a tremble of excitement in his low laugh
as he glanced about the gloomy interior of the cabin.

From the log ceiling hung a big oil lamp with a tin reflector, and under
this he hung the skull.

"You'll make a pretty ornament, M'sieur Janette," he exclaimed, standing
off to contemplate the white thing leering and bobbing at him from the
end of its string. "Mon Dieu, I tell you that when the lamp is lighted
Bucky Nome must be blind if he doesn't recognize you, even though you're
dead, M'sieur!"

He lighted a smaller lamp, shaved himself, and changed his clothes. It
was dark when he was ready for supper, and Nome had not returned. He
waited a quarter of an hour longer, then put on his cap and coat and
lighted the big oil lamp. At the door he turned to look back. The
cavernous sockets of the skull stared at him. From where he stood he
could see the ragged hole above the ear.

"It's your game to-night, M'sieur Janette," he cried back softly, and
closed the door behind him.

They were gathered before a huge fire of logs in the factor's big