The Golden Snare

alize the hazard he had taken. He turned suddenly to confront Bram. He would not

stuff! But why didn't you tell me! Why don't you talk, and let me

ram stared at hi

m a friend," h

ontinued to laugh-and as he laughed, his eyes blazing a greenish fire, he turned to the stove and began putting fuel into the fire. It was horrible. Bram's laugh-the girl's dead white face, AND HER SMILE! He no longer asked himself who she was, and why she was there. He was overwhelmed by the one appalling fact that she WAS here, and that the stricken soul cryin

him away from the wolf-man, speaking to him in the language which he could not understand. And then Bram turned from the

Her meaning was quite as plain as words. She was showing him what Bram had done for her. He had made her this separate room by running a partition across the cabin, and in addition to this he had built a small lean-to outside the main wall entered through a narrow door made of saplings that were still green. He noticed that the parti

's neck when his back is turned, or at any other time, and you want me to believe that he hasn't done you any harm. And yet you're afraid to the bottom of

ow in her eyes and the eager poise of her s

acing straight up against the door of-of-well, seeing that you can't understand I might as well say it-OF HELL! Now, if you weren't afraid of Bram, and if he hasn't hurt you, why did you look like that? I'm stumped. I repeat it-dead stumped. I'd give a million dolla

ion of the change that must ha

ght throw itself on the situation. "If you had something black about you. But you haven't. You're all gold-pink and white and gold. If Bram has another fit of talking he may tell me you ca

something pathetically sweet in that smile. It brought a

ft of things-slowly. I know you've been here quite a while, and that morning, noon and night since the chasse-galere brought you down from the moon you've had nothing t

preparation of the breakfast for which he knew she was hungering. He did not look at her too closely. All at once it had dawned upon him that her situation must be tremendously more embarrassing than his own. He felt, too, the ting

o see her eyes shining at him, and her lips parted. She was delightfully pretty. He knew that every nerve in her body was straining to understand him. Her braid had slipped over her shoulder. It was as thick as his

said. "Philip Raine-Ph

her face. It was as if all at once they had broken through the barrier that had separated them. She

ie A

ame as he stirred the potatoes, and each time he spoke it she nodded. It was decidedly a French name-but half a minute's

e said

el

same breath

ili

ip did not turn his head toward the door. He did not look at first to see what effect Bram's return had on Celie Armin. He went on casually with his

ffee, Celie.

ent and color had partly died out of it. She took

ilip fa

tering, and he was staring at the scene before him in a dull, stupid sort of w

the little lady wait. Besides, I think you've fed her on fish a

d the fish in his hands. Suddenly he lowered both to the floor with a growl that seemed to come from the bottom of his great chest, and came to the table. With one huge hand he seized Philip's arm. It was not a man's grip. There was apparently no effort i

ze meat,

hen, even as Philip stared, the change came. The giant flung back his head and his wild, mad laugh

l him. Bram, in his madness, had been good to her. Philip did not hesitate in the impulse of the moment. He caught Bram's hand and shook it. And Bram, his laugh dying away in a mumbling sound, seemed not to notice it. As Philip began preparing the fish the wolf-man took up a position against the farther wall, squatted In

ling outcry of the wolves