Most of his troubles could be grappled with bare hands, but here was one against which force would not avail, hence he was unhappy.
The party reached Flambeau on the following day, sufficiently ahead of Stark and his men for Lee to make known his find to his friends, and by sunset the place was depopulated, while a line of men could be seen creeping slowly up the valleys.
Gale found Alluna in charge of the store, but no opportunity of talking alone with her occurred until late in the evening, after Necia had put the two little ones to bed and had followed them wearily.

Then he told his squaw.

She took the news better than he expected, and showed no emotion such as other women would have displayed, even when he told her of the gunshot.

Instead, she inquired: "Why did you try it there before all those others ?" "Well, when I heard him talking, the wish to kill him was more than I could stand, and it came on me all at once, so that I was mad, I suppose.

I never did the like before." He half shuddered at the memory.
"I am sorry," she said.
"Yes! So am I." "Sorry that you failed, for you will never have as good a chance again.
What was the matter with your aim?
I have seen you hit a knot-hole, shooting from the hip." "The man is charmed," declared Gale.