"You won't get her," Norman replied. "She is my daughter, and you must
not touch her."

"Your daughter, be damned! You ain't got no daughter. You can't git
that off on us. She's in the other room, an' we want her quick."

What Norman said in reply Jean could not understand, for the noise the
men were making. But she did hear some one trying the door, and
cursing because he could not get it open. She knew now that the
critical moment had arrived. There was no time to lose. She must
leave the place and nee to the shelter of the forest. That was her
only hope.

By the dim light of the dying fire she donned the coat, cap and mitts
that Kitty had made for her. Then seizing her snow-shoes, she
cautiously opened the back door. As she did so she could hear the
other door creaking beneath the weight of several bodies pressing
against it from the opposite side. That it would soon give way she
felt certain, so she must make her escape while there was time.
Stepping out into the night, she looked fearfully around. Seeing no
one, she sped along the trail, and in another minute was within the
sheltering arms of the great forest. Here she paused and looked back.
Nothing could she see but the house standing black and drear in the
midst of the little clearing.

It took her but a few minutes to arrange her snowshoes on her feet, and
she had just straightened herself up from her stooping position when a
crash and a medley of shouts fell upon her ears. She knew the meaning
of these sounds, and her heart beat wildly. The door had been burst