advantage of Brain's absence to search the cabin. He tried to make
Celie understand what his intentions were as he began.

"You may have done this yourself," he told her. "No doubt you
have. There probably isn't a corner you haven't looked into. But I
have a hunch I may find something you missed--something
interesting."

She followed him closely. He began at each wall and went over it
carefully, looking for possible hiding places. Then he examined
the floor for a loose sapling. At the end of half an hour his
discoveries amounted to nothing. He gave an exclamation of
satisfaction when under an old blanket in a dusty corner he found
a Colt army revolver. But it was empty, and he found no
cartridges. At last there was nothing left to search but the wolf-
man's bunk. At the bottom of this he found what gave him his first
real thrill--three of the silken snares made from Celie Armin's
hair.

"We won't touch them," he said after a moment, replacing the bear
skin that had covered them. "It's good etiquette up here not to
disturb another man's cache and that's Bram's. I can't imagine any
one but a madman doing that. And yet--"

He looked suddenly at Celie.

"Do you suppose he was afraid of YOU?" he asked her. "Is that why
he doesn't leave even the butcher-knife in this shack? Was he
afraid you might shoot him in his sleep if he left the temptation
in your way?"