Duc came huddling to Mallory's feet. For a brief instant Mallory and the
Indian fell apart, then Athabasca with a contemptuous fairness tossed his
knife away, and ran in on his man. They closed; strained, swayed, became
a tangled wrenching mass; and then Mallory was lifted high into the air,
and came down with a broken back.

Athabasca picked up the epaulettes, and hurried away, breathing hard, and
hugging them to his bare red-stained breast. He had nearly reached the
gate when he heard a cry. He did not turn, but a heavy stone caught him
high in the shoulders, and he fell on his face and lay clutching the
epaulettes in his outstretched hands.

Fyles' own hands were yet lifted with the effort of throwing, when he
heard the soft rush of footsteps, and someone came swiftly into his
embrace. A pair of arms ran round his shoulders--lips closed with
his--something ice-cold and hard touched his neck--he saw a bright flash
at his throat.

In the morning Konto found Mitawawa sitting with wild eyes by her
father's body. She had fastened the epaulettes on its shoulders. Fyles
and his men made a grim triangle of death at the door of the Fort.




THE HOUSE WITH THE BROKEN SHUTTER

"He stands in the porch of the world--
(Why should the door be shut?)
The grey wolf waits at his heel,