She had forced herself to smile, forced the look of gladness into her face, and the words from her lips.

And now she was trying to tell him what it meant, and pointing to Bram as he knelt with his huge head and shoulders bent over the dunnage bag on the floor she exclaimed in a low, tense voice: "Tossi--tossi--han er tossi!" It was useless.

He could not understand, and it was impossible for him to hide the bewilderment in his face.

All at once an inspiration came to him.

Bram's back was toward him, and he pointed to the sticks of firewood.