"The subject is closed," she said. "You have behaved hatefully!"
Escaping into the hall, she sought her room and shut herself in. She felt humiliated, and, although there had once or twice been something ludicrous in the situation, the man's overbearing boldness had strongly impressed her. She was afraid of him; he would not readily be beaten.
Mappin left the house without speaking to Frobisher and returned to the Landing. The next day he sent for the packer who was to lead the party taking up Andrew's supplies. The fellow was some time in coming and Mappin waited for him in a threatening mood. Geraldine's blush had filled him with jealous hatred. Allinson was a dangerous rival. Let him beware!
"You know the Whitefish Creek," he said to the man he had summoned. "What lies between the forks?"
"A piece of high and very rough country; muskegs full of little pines mussed up with blown trees in the hollows."
"Well," said Mappin, "you'll cache the supplies for Allinson where I've put the cross on this map. Think you've got it right?"
"Yes," answered the packer. "It must be near the tall butte, a piece up the creek. That's a pretty good mark."
"Then there's the other lot of supplies. You can see the place for them on the height of land, south of the Whitefish."
The man glanced at the map and nodded.
"We'll dump those first. Everything's ready. We'll pull out as soon as I can get the boys together."