The mountaineer would not release Emma until she had danced two dances with him, and by that time the girl he had brought to the party refused even to look at him.
Emma made her unsought partner introduce her to other boys, and with smiles and teasing she won many partners, until the room was bordered with a ring of blazing and snapping eyes, all resentful at her success in winning their escorts.
Grace tried to catch her eye to warn her, but Emma studiously refrained from permitting that very thing.

Soon the mountain girls allowed themselves to be led to the dancing floor by others than their own escorts.
The atmosphere was becoming highly charged.

Even Hippy had swung a mountain miss out to the floor and was dancing with her, but the Overland girls, with the exception of Emma, had smilingly declined when invited by mountain boys to dance.
Men, under the scornful smiles on the faces of their regular partners, were growing sullen.

The laughter was dying from the faces of the dancers, and it was quite evident that trouble was brewing.
"Call Hippy to you and tell him to sit down by you, Nora," whispered Grace Harlowe.

"I will catch Emma at the end of this dance, if I can.
That child is going to start a riot if she is allowed to go on much longer." Hippy got his summons a few moments thereafter.