[Illustration: Once he had to paddle like a madman to keep from beingsucked into the largest whirlpool along the course. (Page 12)]

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CANOE MATES IN CANADAORTHREE BOYS AFLOAT ON THE SASKATCHEWAN

ByST. GEORGE RATHBORNE

Author of"THE HOUSE BOAT BOYS, " "CHUMS IN DIXIE, ""THE YOUNG FUR TAKERS, " Etc. 

M. A. DONOHUE & CO. , Chicago

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CANOE AND CAMPFIRE SERIES

Four Books of Woodcraft and Adventure in the Forest and on the Waterthat every Boy Scout should have in his Library

By ST. GEORGE RATHBORNE

 CANOEMATES IN CANADA; or, Three Boys Afloat on the Saskatchewan. 

 THE YOUNG FUR-TAKERS; or, Traps and Trails in the Wilderness. 

 THE HOUSE-BOAT BOYS; or, Drifting Down to the Sunny South. 

 CHUMS IN DIXIE; or, The Strange Cruise of a Motor Boat. 

 CAMP MATES IN MICHIGAN; or, With Pack and Paddle in the Pine Woods. 

 ROCKY MOUNTAIN BOYS; or, Camping in the Big Game Country. 

In these four delightful volumes the author has drawn bountifully fromhis thirty-five years experience as a true sportsman and lover ofnature, to reveal many of the secrets of the woods, such as all BoysScouts strive to know. And, besides, each book is replete with stirringadventures among the four-footed denizens of the wilderness; so that afeast of useful knowledge is served up, with just that class of stirringincidents so eagerly welcomed by all boys with red blood in their veins. For sale wherever books are sold, or sent prepaid for 50 cents each bythe publishers. 

Copyright, 1912, M. A. Donohue & Co. 

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CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE

 I. A PLUNGE DOWN THE RAPIDS 7 II. THE CAMP UNDER THE HEMLOCKS 17 III. COMRADES 28 IV. THE THREE SMOKE SIGNALS 37 V. THE FALSE CHART OF DUBOIS 47 VI. THE TIMBER-CRUISER 57 VII. OWL AND TIMBER WOLF 67 VIII. THE CALL OF THE WILD 77 IX. TRAPPER LORE 84 X. MAGIC IN THE BERRIES 104 XI. A BREAK IN THE CHAIN 117 XII. ON THE TRACK OF ELI 127 XIII. BIRDS OF A FEATHER 137 XIV. WITHOUT AUTHORITY 152 XV. SCENTS A MYSTERY 160 XVI. A LITTLE WITCH 170 XVII. SEEN THROUGH THE OPEN DOOR 184 XVIII. OWEN FINDS HIMSELF A PRISONER 194 XIX. FOR SO IT WAS WRITTEN 204 XX. THE TENT DWELLERS 214 XXI. AT DEAD OF NIGHT 221 XXII. CONCLUSION 231

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CANOE MATES IN CANADA

or

Afloat on the Saskatchewan

CHAPTER I. 

A PLUNGE DOWN THE RAPIDS. 

Kneeling in a "bullboat, " fashioned from the skin of an animal, andwielding a paddle with the dexterity only to be attained after years ofpractice in canoeing, a sturdily-built and thoroughly bronzed Canadianlad glanced ever and anon back along the course over which he had sorecently passed; and then up at the black storm clouds hurrying out ofthe mysterious North. 

It was far away in the wilderness of the Northwest, where this fiercetributary of the great Saskatchewan came pouring down from thetimber-clad hills; and all around the lone voyager lay some of thewildest scenery to be met with on the whole continent. 

Here and there in this vast territory one might come across theoccasional trading posts of the wide-reaching Hudson Bay Company, ateach of which the resident factor ruled with the arbitrary power of alittle czar. 

It might be he would discover the fire of some Ishmaelite of the forest, a wandering "timber-cruiser, " marking out new and promising fields forthose he served, and surveying the scene of possible future bustlinglogging camps. 

Otherwise the country at this time was a vast unknown land, seldompenetrated by human kind, save the Indian fur gatherers. 

Considering that he was in so vast a wilderness this adventurous ladappeared to have scant luggage in his well battered bullboat--indeed, beyond the buskskin jacket, which he had thrown off because of hisexertions, there did not seem to be anything at all aboard the craft, not even a gun, by means of which he might provide himself with foodwhile on the journey downstream. 

This singular fact would seem to indicate that he might have had troubleof some sort back yonder. 

Indeed, the occasional glances which he cast over his shoulder addedstrength to this possibility; though the look upon his strong face wasmore in the line of chagrin and anger than fear. 

Now and then he shook his curly head, and muttered something; and once aname passed his lips in anything but a friendly fashion--that ofAlexander Gregory. 

Swifter grew the current, giving plain warning to one so well versed asthis lad must be in the vagaries of these mad rivers of the Silent Landthat presently it would be racing furiously down a steep incline, withrazoredge rocks on every side, apparently only too eager to rend asunderthe frail canoe of the adventurous cruiser. 

Still Owen Dugdale continued to ply the nimble paddle, weaving it in andout like a shuttle. 

He kept to the middle of the river when it would seem to at least havebeen the part of wisdom had he edged his craft closer to either shore, so that he might, in time, make a safe landing in preference to trustinghimself to the mercy of the wild rapids, in which his frail bullboatwould be but as a chip in the swirl of conflicting waters. 

Already had the vanguard of the storm swept down upon him. 

An inky pall began to shut out the daylight, and when a sudden flash oflightning cleft the low-hanging clouds overhead the effect was perfectlystaggering. 

The roar of thunder that followed quick upon its heels was like theexplosion of a twelve-inch gun as heard in the steel-jacketed turret ofa modern battleship. 

Again and again was the rushing river, with its grim forest-clad shoreslighted up by the rapid-fire electric flashes. 

All around crashed the loud-toned thunderclaps, rumbling and roaringuntil the whole affair became a perfect pandemonium; and brave indeedmust be the soul that could gaze upon it without dismay and flinching. 

It was just then, before the rain had begun to descend, and while theartillery of heaven flashed and roared with all the fury of aGettysburg, that Owen Dugdale found himself plunging into the dangerousrapids, ten times more to be feared under such conditions than ordinary. 

Possibly he may have regretted his rashness in sticking to the middle ofthe channel until it was too late to change his course; but apparentlythe solitary young Canuck was at the time in somewhat of a desperateframe of mind, and recked little what might be the result of his mad actof defiance to the combined powers of tempest and boiling rapids. 

At least he showed no signs of shrinking from the consequences. 

Beyond shifting his weight a trifle, as if to settle himself better forthe desperate work that faced him, he remained just as before, on hisknees. 

Crouching amidships, lie held his paddle poised as if ready to thrust itinto the swirling water at a second's notice, to stay the progress ofthe canoe as it lunged toward a threatening rock, or glided too near aroaring whirlpool, where disaster was certain to follow. 

Owen Dugdale was no novice at shooting rapids, though never before couldhe have undertaken such a fierce fight as the one in which he was nowengaged, for the combination of the elements made it simply appalling. 

The stirring scene might have appealed to the instinct of an artist; butso far as the lad was concerned he had only eyes for the perils withwhich he was surrounded, and his whole soul seemed wrapped up in theprompt meeting of each emergency as it flashed before him. 

A dozen times he would have met with sudden disaster but for theinstantaneous manner in which his hand followed the promptings of hisbrain. 

Even then it was a mighty close shave more than once, for the boatrubbed up against several snags in whirling past, any one of whichwould have sunk the frail craft had it been a head-on collision. 

Once he had to paddle like a madman to keep from being sucked into thelargest whirlpool along the course; which seemed to reach out eagerfingers, and strive to the utmost to engulf him in its gluttonous maw. 

Thanks to the almost incessant lightning, Owen was enabled to see theseperils in time to take action, else he must have been speedilyoverwhelmed in the fury of the rushing waters. 

While the time might have seemed an eternity to the brave lad whobattled for his very life, in reality it could not have been more than acouple of minutes at most that he was shooting down that foamy descent, dodging hither and thither as the caprice of the rapids or the impetusof his paddle dictated. 

Just below him was the finish of the dangerous fall, and as so oftenhappens, the very last lap proved to be more heavily charged withdisaster than any of those above, even though they appeared to be farworse. 

Being a son of the wilderness, Owen Dugdale had probably never heard ofthe kindred terrors that used to lie in wait for the bold mariners ofancient Greece--the rock and the whirlpool known as Scylla andCharybdis--if they missed being impaled upon the one they were apt tobe engulfed in the other--and yet here in the rapids of this furiousSaskatchewan feeder he was brought face to face with a propositionexactly similar to that of mythology. 

He strove valiantly to meet the occasion, and his sturdy sweep of thepaddle did send him away from the ugly pointed rock; but the lastwhirlpool was so close that he was not enabled to fully recover in timeto throw his whole power into the second stroke; consequently his canoewas caught in the outer edge of the swirl, and before one could evenwink twice it capsized. 

This was not the first time Owen had met with such a disaster whileshooting rapids and he had his wits about him for all of the confusionthat surrounded him there. 

His very first act was to clutch hold of the canoe, and throw all hisenergies into the task of avoiding the deadly suction of the whirlpool, for once he fell into its grip there must be only a question of secondsere he reached its vortex and went under. 

Fortune, aided by his own violent efforts, favored him, and as a resulthe managed to swim down the balance of the rapid, and reach the smootherwaters below, still hanging on with a desperate clutch to his poor oldboat, while his other hand gripped the paddle. 

The canoe was full of water, but it did not sink, being buoyant enoughto keep on the surface; but Owen found it as much as he could do to pushthe unwieldly thing along when he began to make for the nearest shore. 

Exciting as this adventure had been, it was only an episode in a lifesuch as he had spent up in this vast region, where the first lesson aboy learns is to take care of himself, and meet peril in any guise. 

There was not the least doubt with regard to his ability to gain thenearby shore with his wrecked canoe, even if left to himself. 

Nevertheless, when his ears caught the sound of encouraging shouts, andhe realized that his perilous descent of the rapids had been witnessedby sympathetic eyes, it gave Mm a thrill to know that friends were nearby, and waiting to assist him, if such were necessary. 

But young Dugdale was an independent lad, accustomed to relyingaltogether upon his own endeavors, as one must always do whose life isspent in the heart of the Great Lone Land of the Far Northwest. 

Hence, he kept on swimming with his boat until he could wade, and inthis way came out of the river dripping, temporarily held in check byhis misfortune, but not in the least dismayed. 

Two figures hurried to meet him, though they arrived too late to givehim a helping hand in effecting a landing. 

Owen looked at them in amazement--he had at the most anticipated thatthose whose encouraging shouts had reached his ears while in the watermust be some timber-cruisers who chanced to be camping at the foot ofthe rapids for the fishing to be found there; or it might be several ofthe halfbreed _voyageurs_ employed by the Hudson Bay Company to carryfurs from far distant posts to some station on the railroad; but hefound himself gazing upon neither. 

Two boys confronted him, neither of them much older than himself, andutter strangers at that. 

Owen had never had a chum; and indeed, his life had been a lonely one, burdened by responsibilities that had made him much older than hisyears--his scanty associations had been with hardy lumbermen or_voyageurs_, so that the presence of this twain struck him as the mostmysterious and remarkable thing in all his experience. 

And they seemed so solicitous concerning his welfare, insisting upontaking hold of the boat and pulling the same clear of the water, that healmost began to fancy he must be dreaming. 

"Now, " exclaimed the taller of the two, when this job had been finished, "come right up to our tent, where we have a bully fire that will dry youoff in a jiffy. And our coffee is just ready, too--I rather guessthat'll warm you up some. Eli, it's lucky you made an extra supply, after all. Looks as if you expected we'd have company drop in on us. I'll carry the paddle--good you hung on to it, for it's a tough job towhittle one out, I know. Here we are, old chap, and believe me, you're athousand times welcome!"

CHAPTER II. 

THE CAMP UNDER THE HEMLOCKS. 

Young Owen Dugdale's heart thrilled within him. 

In all his life he could not exactly remember a single time when he hadbeen thus warmly welcomed to any camp. Why, it was almost worth shootingthe rapids and meeting with disaster to hear such words, and feel thatevery one was meant. 

Who were these lads, and why were they here in this faraway land?

His astonished eyes fell upon the craft that had evidently carried themup the river from some hamlet, scores, perhaps hundreds, of miles away. 

Such a dandy canoe Owen Dugdale had never dreamed existed in the wholewide world, for it was of varnished cedar, and with its nickeledtrimmings, glistened there under the hemlocks in the flash of thelightning, and the glow of the protected campfire. 

He seemed to feel somehow that this apparent calamity upon the river hadbeen the "open sesame" for him to enter upon a new and perhapsdelightful experience; rather a rough introduction perhaps, but then heknew only such in the range of his past. 

And the delicious odor of that supper was enough to arouse the dormantappetite of one who had foresworn all cookery, one of these moderncranks determined to exist upon nuts and fruit, which our young friendof the bullboat certainly was not. 

Both lads bustled about trying to make him comfortable near the cheeryblaze, and then filling a pannikin with the canoeist's stew of cornbeef, succotash and left-over potatoes, they invited him to set-to, norwait for them a second. 

Owen could not have restrained himself, once his nostrils becamesaturated with those delicious odors, and he started to eat like astarving chap; as indeed, he came very near being, seeing that he hadnot partaken of a mouthful of food for almost twenty-four hours, andthen but scantily. 

Then came a cup of such coffee as he had never before tasted, withcondensed milk to mellow the same, and close at his hand was placed apackage of crackers into which he was expected to dip as the humorseized him. 

Boys never like to talk while hungry, and no matter how strong thecuriosity on both sides might be, nothing was said beyond the usualcourtesies necessary in passing things, until one and all declaredthemselves satisfied. 

But, although their tongues were silent during this half-hour, theireyes did double duty, and Owen found a thousand things at which towonder. 

The canoe had been enough to excite his curiosity, but everything he sawabout the camp was in keeping with such luxury. 

The dun-colored tent was a beauty, and doubtless positively waterproof, for the rain that had been beating down ever since they commenced eatinghad found no inlet; and the fly over the fire sufficed to keep it frombeing extinguished. 

He saw several warbags of the same kind of canvas, evidently used forthe storage of clothes and provisions; and in addition there were acouple of guns, rubber ponchos, gray blankets that peeped out of twoexpensive sleeping bags, and a couple of black japanned boxes thecontents of which he could not picture, unless they might be somethingin the way of surveyors' instruments; for Owen had once seen a party ofthese gentry running a line through the forest, and hence his vagueapplication now. 

These things had been taken in with a few glances around; but the twoboys themselves occupied most of his attention, and he found himselftrying to study out what they were--the taller one he understoodimmediately must be in command, for his whole appearance indicated it, while the shorter chap was of the calibre not unlike himself, bronzedfrom a life in the open, and with a cheery manner that drew the waiftoward him from the start. 

Both were dressed for business, with no unnecessary frills; and it wasevident that if the leader of the mysterious expedition was possessed ofunlimited means he also had enough common sense to deny himself luxurieswhen upon such a long cruise. 

When every one declared that not another bite could be taken, Eli pulledout a pipe, being evidently addicted to smoking, and his comrade, finding that the newcomer had dried out pretty thoroughly, hunted up aspare jacket from one of the bags, which he insisted upon Owen donning, since the storm, now a thing of the past, had been followed by a coolwave that made the fire doubly pleasant. 

"Now, " said the tall lad, with one of his winning smiles, that drew Owento him so wonderfully, "let's exchange confidences a bit, just as far asyou care to go and no further. First of all my name is CuthbertReynolds, and I'm from across the border, a Yankee to the backbone; andthis is Eli Perkins, also an American boy, a native of the lumberregions of Michigan, and with his fortunes bound up in mine. "

"And I'm Owen Dugdale, " said the other, knowing the pause was intendedfor him to break in with the mention of his name; "a native Canuck, andat home in this timber region--my parents were of Scotch descent Ibelieve. And the first thing I want to say is that I'm mighty glad to behere with you just now. I was just about as hungry as a bear, and onlyfor you I don't see what I could have done, after that ducking, for mymatches must have been wet, and I would have gone to sleep hungry andcold. "

The tall lad hastened to interrupt him, evidently not fancying beingthanked for doing what was apparently the greatest pleasure in the worldto him. 

"Hold on, please; we understand all that. You're a thousand timeswelcome, and I tell you right now nothing could have happened to pleaseme better than meeting up with you. You can bet there's somethingbesides chance in it. Now, naturally you're wondering what in thedickens two fellows of our stripe are doing wandering about up here inthe Far Northwest like a couple of nomads. 

"Well, perhaps when you learn the actual truth you'll wonder harder thanever how it is one of us has escaped landing in a lunatic asylum up tothis time; but as some of my friends say to me, youthful enthusiasm isresponsible for many queer things, and so long as my wonderful ambitionis to copy after Stanley in the line of exploring, why, they don'tworry. 

"They say I have more money than I know what to do with, anyway, and ifit must be blown in somehow, why, this is a harmless way of doing it, dangerous only to myself, and any other foolish chap whom I mayinfluence to accompany me on my mad expeditions, " and as he spoke heglanced affectionately in the direction of the homely, freckled butgood-humored Eli, who returned the look with a grin and an emphatic nodof approval. 

"Now, you see, Eli has been with the lumbermen all his life, and is ashardy as they make them. What he doesn't know about the woods isn'tworth telling; and so we make a pretty good team, for I've picked up alittle knowledge about camp life during my canoeing days in the East, and manage to fill in the gaps in Eli's education, along the line ofwoodcraft. 

"I might as well make a full confession in the start, for you're boundto get on to my weakness if we see much of each other, and I hope wewill. Ever, since I was knee-high to a grasshopper I've been inoculatedwith the exploring bee, read everything ever printed in that line, andpictured myself doing wonderful stunts like Livingstone and Stanley. "

It was only to be expected then that when I was left my own master atthe death of my father, I would pursue my hobby to the limit; and Irather guess I have been on the jump for two years. Haven't made myselffamous yet, and a little of my enthusiasm in that line has dribbledaway; but I'm just as determined to work in the field of research asever; only age is beginning to tone down my earlier wild notions, andafter this last and crowning folly I think I shall hitch up with someveteran who knows it all, and be content to work up from the ranks. 

"I started out on this expedition with great notions of making such atrip as no man had ever before attempted, passing up a branch of theSaskatchewan, making a portage with the assistance of the Crees orChippewas to some convenient branch of the Athabasca River, and voyageon to the lake of that name by fall, winter there perhaps at the HudsonBay Post, and in the spring by means of the chain of lakes and riversthat I understand connect the Athabasca Lake with Hudson Bay, arrive atthat vast sheet of water in time to be picked up by some whaler andcarried home a winner. 

"Makes you smile, I guess--well, it strikes me as funny, now that I'vebeen navigating this country for several months, and only gotten thisfar; but when I laid out the trip it was a serious business for me, andI couldn't see anything but success ahead of me. I've had my fun, andI'm ready to call the game off. This is a man's work, I understand now, and I'm out of the exploring business for the time, only now that we'reup so far Eli and myself want to see all we can of the country; and Elihas some notions in the line of discovering rich copper ledges that hemeans to work while wandering about this unknown land, eh, old man?"

In this boyish, familiar manner did he address his comrade, and Eli asusual laughed good-naturedly and nodded his head--evidently he had afund of humor in his make-up that could not be disturbed by any amountof "joshing. "

Cuthbert halted in his explanations; he did not hint at such a thing, but evidently it was up to Owen to tell something at least in connectionwith his presence in the neighborhood, and how he came to be rushingdown the dangerous rapids at the time the storm broke, when it wouldappear the part of wisdom for one who knew the peril involved as well ashe did, to land and portage around the troubled water. 

The lad acted a little as though confused, not knowing just how much heshould tell in connection with himself; but taking a brace he finallyspoke up--Eli was adding some wood to the fire from a stock they hadlaid in dry when the storm was seen approaching, while Cuthbert busiedhimself in making his seat more comfortable, though in reality it wasdone in order not to appear to be noticing the coloring-up of the guest, about whom he seemed to realize that there was a bit of a mystery. 

"I told you my name was Owen Dugdale, and that I had always lived up inthis country. Well, that is hardly so, for when I was a little chap Iremember being in Montreal with my parents for a spell; but they cameback here and I've never gone out of the woods since. 

"My mother taught me all I know, for she was a lady, and had beeneducated in a convent school in that city. My father was used to thelife of the woods, and I learned everything connected with that fromhim. I lost my mother two years ago, and my father later. That's aboutall there is in connection with me. I--I had some trouble up the riverat the post, and was making my way down with the intention of leavingthis country forever when this accident happened. I'm glad it didhappen, because it's thrown me in with two such good fellows. You'll besurprised when I tell you that I've never had a boy friend in all mylife; and--well, it's mighty fine to be sitting here and talking withyou both. I wish I could do something to return the favor, that's what. "

"You can--stay with us a while, and let us have some of the benefit ofyour knowledge of the country. We'd like nothing better; and if you haveno other place to go, why make a third member of the crowd. You have aboat, and as for grub and such, why, we're loaded down with it. Don'tdecide just now, but think it over and tell us in the morning. We won'ttake no for an answer, remember. "

Owen turned his head away as if to look at something he fancied movedalong the edge of the camp; but it was to conceal the tears that cameunbidden into his eyes--the genuine warmth of this invitation stirredhis heart, and as some resolution sprang into life he gripped his handsand set his teeth hard. 

CHAPTER III. 

COMRADES. 

The young Canadian sat for a few minutes mute, as though turning overthis proposition of Cuthbert's in his mind; then suddenly raising hiseyes he looked his new friend straight in the face and said:

"That's awfully white of you, and I'm going to accept your invitation. I'll be only too glad to stay with you, for a time at least, and serveyou as guide. And if you still persist in your determination to ascendthe river further, to see all you can while in this country, who shouldknow that region better than myself. Let come what will, I am goingback!"

The impulsive American, after his kind, was bound to seal the bargainwith a hearty handshake; and Eli, not to be outdone in the matter, alsothrust out his broad "paw" as he called it, squeezing that of the otherwith a strength that made Owen wince a bit. 

At the same time the observing Cuthbert could not but note the grittingof Owen's teeth when he declared that he was ready to go back into thecountry from which he had apparently just come; it would appear asthough some recent experience up the river did not linger fondly in hismemory, and that when he came paddling downstream in his battered oldbullboat it might have been with the idea of quitting the country forgood. 

Naturally this aroused a little curiosity in the other's mind, though hewas not addicted to this failing overly much. 

What could there be in the depths of the wilderness to bring about thisaversion on the part of young Dugdale?

If Cuthbert had allowed himself to ruminate upon this subject all sortsof suspicions might have been aroused; but he was by nature too frankand generous to judge a stranger before he had been given a chance toexplain; and the more he looked in the face of the lad, and noted thecalm depths of his gray eyes the stronger grew his conviction that OwenDugdale, as he called himself, could not descend to anything wrong. 

Some persons carry their character in their faces, and he was of thenumber. So Cuthbert made up his mind to chase all suspicion from hismind; if in his own time the Canadian chose to confide in him, well andgood; until then he would forget what he had seen of first anxiety andthen grim determination, stamped upon that young face. 

Both of the would-be explorers were cast in somewhat of a merry mould, and it was impossible to be in their company long without partaking oftheir happy-go-lucky spirit. 

To the sober Owen this was about as fine a thing as could ever havehappened, for he found it utterly out of the question to ponder gloomilyupon the bitter past while these two chaps were whipping jokes back andforth, and insidiously drawing him into the conversation, until greatlyto his astonishment he even burst out into a hearty peal of laughter, the first expression of merriment that had sprung from his heart formany a day. 

Perhaps a benign Providence had taken pity upon him, and was now bent onsending sunshine where hitherto there had been little save clouds andstorm. 

The more he saw of these cousins from over the line the better he likedthem. 

It was a favorite joke of Cuthbert's to compare himself with thatwonderfully humorous character of Spanish literature, who took himselfso solemnly even while he furnished merriment for everybody--DonQuixote, the Knight of La Mancha--this wild expedition into the depthsof the Northwestern Unknown Land was now, in the originator's mind, about as weird and ridiculous a proposition as any of the adventures ofthe crazy knight; and he never tired of cracking broad jokes upon thesubject. 

Of course, as was natural, honest Eli must pose for the faithful squire, Sancho Panza; and long since he had been told the whole story, so thathe was now acquainted with most of the peculiarities of that worthy, andeven at times managed to tickle his friend and employer by carrying outthe idea in some manner. 

Owen was not ignorant as to the facts, for it chanced that he had readthe book, having found an old copy in his cabin home, the property ofhis mother; so that he was in a condition to enjoy the joke wheneverthere happened to be a reference made to the ancient couple. 

The storm had long since passed away down the river, growling in thedistance for quite a time; but gradually the stars came peeping out inthe broad blue dome overhead, and while the woods dripped with themoisture the prospect for a good day on the morrow seemed propitious. 

There was room in the tent for three, with a little good-naturedcrowding; and while Owen protested against intruding he was turned downinstantly, and compelled to take his place. 

Never in all his life had he been drawn to any one as he was towardthese two big-hearted fellows from across the border; and when he laydown finally, after busying himself for half an hour about the fire, hefelt like a new boy; such is the confidence generated in the human heartby comradeship. 

Owen had intentionally chosen a position near the exit of the tent, for, seeing that he had spent his life under similar conditions, and it wassecond nature with him to attend to a fire during the night, he wouldnot hear of either of his new friends attempting it. 

In spite of his getting up several times between that hour and thebreaking of dawn Owen slept sounder than he had done for many a day; heseemed to feel a new confidence in himself, as if matters had taken aturn for the better, and in this accidental meeting with his benefactorshis fortunes had begun to assume a less gloomy aspect. 

Once, as he was about snuggling down under the extra blanket which hadbeen assigned to him he rested his head upon his hand, his elbow beingon the ground, and surveyed the two sleeping lads, for the firelightcrept through the opening of the tent, and revealed the interior. 

It was difficult for him to believe that he had only known these goodfellows a comparatively few hours; so strong a hold had they taken uponhis heart that it seemed as though he must have met them in his dreams, for they appeared to be occupying a space in his affections that wastheirs by right. 

So the morning found them. 

When Cuthbert awoke he discovered that the new addition to the exploringparty was already busily employed in getting things ready for breakfast;whereupon there arose a friendly argument as to whose duty it was tohustle things for the morning meal. 

This was finally settled by arranging matters so that the three of themcould take turns about in the daily duties; and Owen chose to beginthen. 

The others were not adverse to letting him have a whack at the culinarydepartment, for they had been going together for a long time now, andboth had about exhausted their repertoire in the line of cookery, sothat a change would really be a delightful diversion; for almost everycamper has his favorite dishes upon which he prides himself, and whentwo such come together there is always more or less of a friendlyrivalry to see which can outdo the other. 

By degrees such a party comes to recognize the particularly strongpoints of each member, so that in the end they make a fine team, everyone being a star in his favorite line. 

Breakfast was eaten with more or less good natured chaff, such as boyswill always indulge in, and older campers as well; for when in the woodsit seems as if being brought close back to Nature makes children of usall, showing that it is only the care and worry of a strenuous battlefor wealth or power that forces men to appear aged and serious. 

After that came a portage, for the canoes and all the camp duffle had tobe transported above the rapids. 

Eli now seemed to notice for the first time that their new friend hadvirtually nothing but his boat and paddle, and loudly he bewailed thewretched misfortune that had caused everything to be swallowed up in thehungry maw of the swift rapids. 

At this Owen smiled in a curious manner, and openly confessed that theonly damage he had sustained besides getting wet, was the loss of hisjacket; and he surely had little regret for that missing garment sinceCuthbert had so kindly clothed him with a spare one of his own. 

Eli may not have been as able to grasp the true significance of thisfrank declaration as his comrade; but even he realized that the subjectmust be a sore one with Owen, and that it was not wise to ask questionsor seem curious, so he immediately turned to other matters. 

Really, he could not be blamed for this wonder, since it was indeed astrange thing to meet with a wanderer in this vast territory so far fromthe outposts of civilization entirely destitute of the commonestnecessities for comfort or the procuring of food--no blanket, cookingutensils, food, and even a gun missing--well, there surely lay back ofthis a story of unusual interest; and for one Eli hoped their new friendwould soon take them into his confidence, at least so far that theymight be able to help him. 

After some hard work all the stuff was carried to a point above therapids, where they could readily launch their craft without beingcarried down into the hungry maw of the swirling flood. 

The river had risen somewhat after the rainstorm of the previous night, and evidently there would be no lack of water above; this is always awelcome fact to those who navigate toward the headwaters of rivers, since it is no sport to track canoes over almost dry beds of streams, making "shoes" for the boats in order to prevent their being torn bysharp rocks during the passage. 

Owing to the current, which was particularly swift in the region of therapids, they had to bend to the paddle with considerable vim when thestart was eventually made; but the cruisers were young, and theirmuscles well seasoned by more or less hard work, so that they graduallydrew away from the vicinity of Owen's mad voyage among the rocks andsucking whirls of the drop in the river; and the further they went theeasier the paddling became. 

The morning was cool and invigorating after the storm, so that it wasnot to be wondered at that our young friends felt joyous, and presentlyEli broke out in a lumberman's "chanty" that he had picked up while incamp--Cuthbert joined in the chorus, and unable to withstand theseductive strains, Owen found himself also lifting his voice and addingvolume to the merry sound. 

CHAPTER IV. 

THE THREE SMOKE SIGNALS. 

Cuthbert was delighted when he heard the Canadian lad's voice, for herealized that it was one of rare sweetness as well as power; and beingfond of singing, and knowing scores of college songs, he promisedhimself he would in good time teach them to Owen, for their voices wouldblend admirably, while Eli's had a certain harshness about it thatrather swamped his own baritone. 

And he was also aware that the _voyageurs_ of the Canadian wilds havenumerous French boating songs of their own, that are wonderfully adaptedto the rhythm and swing of the paddle; possibly Owen would know somesuch, and might be induced to sing them on occasion, all of which wouldadd to the delight of their advance over the waters, onward into furtherdepths of the wilderness where mystery brooded and the unknown abounded, for them, at least. 

They had managed to make a few miles, but the current was mightydifficult to buck up against, and when finally Cuthbert suggested thatthey take advantage of an alluring point where the trees hung over thewater and the situation seemed especially adapted for a campfire, Eligreeted the proposal with a grunt of unaffected delight, while even thewell seasoned Owen felt that something to eat would not come in amiss. 

To most of us the time to eat is ever a welcome one, especially when weknow there are good things in the larder; and with boys this thing ofappetite is an ever present reality, and the point of sufficiency seldomreached. 

Soon a cheery fire had been started, and Owen persisted in taking chargeof the preparations for lunch, giving them a species of flapjack thatneither had ever seen before, and which they pronounced fine. 

Owen's eyes alone told that he appreciated their praise, for he utteredno word to betray the fact. He was a singularly quiet lad, and Cuthbert, who made it something of a fad to study human nature wherever he foundit, felt certain that his past life had been mixed up with considerableof sorrow. 

All that morning they had not met a solitary human being upon the river, and when Eli commented upon this, their new comrade assured them that itwas no unusual thing to go for several days thus, especially at thistime of year, when the Indians and halfbreeds who trapped for the furcompany were hunting back in the forests, laying in venison to be"jerked" or dried for consumption during the winter months, whenattending to their traps far up the small branches of the Saskatchewan, or the Athabasca. 

In the spring the posts of the Hudson Bay Company are busy places, withthese various companies of _voyageurs_ and trappers coming in with theirloads, for which they are paid, partly in cash and the balance in storegoods. It is then that the resident factor has to exercise his wisdom inhandling so varied an assortment of characters, and keeping them fromgetting into fierce fights, since they are bound to get hold of more orless liquor, and the closing of a successful season, with a period ofrest before them, is apt to make them hilarious. 

Cuthbert asked many questions along this line, being sincerely desirousof obtaining information at first hands; but while Owen answered readilyenough, and explained any point that seemed a bit hazy to his listeners, it might have been noted that he did not offer to launch out into avoluntary description of life as it was to be seen at one of theseposts--Cuthbert even fancied that the subject was not wholly pleasing tothe lad, and came to the conclusion that whatever of trouble Owen mighthave met with recently, it must have had some connection with one ofthese posts. 

They were delayed for some time after eating, for Cuthbert was desirousof attending to some little thing that needed fixing about the canoe;and Owen, who had never set eyes on a cedar boat of this delicatecharacter, willingly lent a hand to the accomplishment of the task, satisfied to just handle such a dainty wizard craft, which in his eyes, accustomed to canoes of birch, or even dugouts, and others made ofanimal skins, assumed the character of something almost too pretty to betouched. 

They paddled for just about three hours that afternoon, and met oneIndian in a birch bark canoe, shooting downstream. 

Both Cuthbert and Eli greeted him heartily; but they noticed that helooked at their new companion in something of a strange manner, thoughnot saying a word to Owen, who seemed to pay no attention to thecopper-skinned voyager. 

If the scowl upon the face of the lone paddler was any indication of hisfeelings, there could not possibly be any love lost between them; andnoticing that one of the fellow's eyes seemed swollen, the idea thrustitself into Cuthbert's mind, ridiculous as it might seem, that possiblyOwen might have had something to do with that catastrophe. 

Cuthbert had kept his eyes on the alert for a good spot where they couldpass the next night, and it lacked half an hour to sunset when he gaveutterance to a shout, and pointed with his paddle at the shore ahead. 

"There's the very place, boys, and it's no use going any further. Justan ideal spot to pitch the tent, and the background will make a dandypicture when I get my camera in focus on it in the morning, for the sunmust rise, let's see, over across the river, and shine right on thefront of the tent. I've been baffled so often in trying for that sameeffect that I don't mean to miss this opportunity if I can help it. Sohere's looking at you, and we'll head in, if you please. "

Owen opened his mouth as if tempted to say something, but caught himselfin time, and silently acquiesced, sending his boat shoreward withvigorous dips of the paddle that told how little his energy had beenexhausted by the day's work. 

It was a fine spot, too, and Eli was loud in his delight; though, knowing his capacity for stowing away food from long experience, Cuthbert was secretly of the opinion that much of his enthusiasm sprangfrom the fact that a halt just then brought dinner closer, rather thanan artistic appreciation of the surroundings. 

That had always been the "fly in the ointment" with those two strangelyassorted companions--one of them was of a romantic disposition, andinclined to seeing the elements in a glorious sunset that appealed tohis soul, while with Eli, it only meant that the following day would, inall likelihood, be a fine one. 

And that was one of the reasons why Cuthbert welcomed the coming ofOwen, for somehow he fancied that the young Canadian might be builtalong his own lines, and able to sympathize with him as the good-heartedbut crude Eli never could, since it was not in his nature to go beyondthe substantial and matter-of-fact. 

Nevertheless, he was a "bully good fellow, " as Cuthbert was wont todeclare, and in time of stress and difficulty could be depended on tothe utmost, being honest, willing and obliging, three necessary elementsin a camping comrade that go far to make amends for any little shortagein artistic temperament. 

The whole three of the cruisers were soon busily engaged, for there isalways plenty for all hands to do when pitching camp, what with theraising of the tent, the making of a fireplace upon which coffee potand frying pan will rest cozily, the digging of a ditch on the higherground back of the shelter, if there seems the slightest possible chanceof rain before morning--well, every one who has been there knows how theopportunities for doing something open up to a willing campmate, sothere is hardly any use in enumerating them here. 

When darkness finally fell upon them all these things had been takencare of, and they were in fine fettle for the stay, whether it be oflong or short duration, even to a pile of firewood close at hand. 

Supper was next in order, but that was a pleasure in which all insistedin taking a share in preparing as well as demolishing; and it waswonderful how speedily things were managed with so many cooks eager toassist the chef. 

During their afternoon trip upstream they had trolled with a couple oflines back of the boat, and fortune had smiled upon them sufficiently toprovide them with fish for the evening meal, which Owen cooked in themanner most favored in this region, where trout may be looked on as acommon, everyday article of food, and not in the line of luxury. 

Of course, there is no necessity to tell how perfectly delicious thatdinner turned out to be, for every one knows that fish are at their bestwhen eaten in the very spot they are taken from their native element;and that being placed on the ice for hours or days takes their delicateflavor away, and renders the flesh soft and crumbly and next totasteless. 

And Owen confessed that the cup of Ceylon tea which he drank was thefirst he had tasted for a year; and he also gave his companions tounderstand that he had been brought up by a Scotch mother to look upontea as nectar fit for the gods. 

After the feast they lay back and took life easy, all of them beingactually too surfeited to think of such a thing as cleaning up the potsand pans for the time being, that little task being left until later, when they would possess more energy and ambition. 

Eli apparently had something on his mind, and as he filled his pipe, preparatory to enjoying his customary after-dinner smoke, he opened thesubject by remarking:

"I say, boys, did either of you notice that line of smoke down theriver, just at the time we were heading for the shore? I was going tocall your attention to it, but something that was said about the spotfor this camp drew my attention, and I clean forgot it till now. "

"I didn't notice anything--in fact, I was so much taken up with lookingfor a jolly place to bunk tonight that I reckon I never once glancedback. How about you, Owen?" asked Cuthbert, turning to the new comrade. 

He knew the other had seen the smoke even before Owen spoke, becausesomething like a flash spread over his swarthy face, though his eyeslooked straight at Cuthbert without a sign of flinching. 

"Yes, I saw it--in fact, I had turned my head a dozen times in the lasthalf-hour, expecting something of the sort, " he remarked, composedly. 

"It wasn't a forest fire--not near dense enough for that; and yet itlooked queer for a campfire--as near as I could make out there wereseveral of 'em, all in a row, and climbing straight up like columns, "declared Eli, wagging his head mysteriously. 

"Just three, " added Owen, gloomily, and yet with a gritting of his teeththat excited Cuthbert's curiosity more than a little. 

"Three smokes in a row--I declare, that sounds like a signal; theIndians down in Florida always communicate in that way, and have aregular code, so that they can send long messages across the swamps andpine forests, " he remarked. 

"That's just what it was, a smoke signal; and the Cree Indian we met onthe river sent it to others of his race upstream, " observed the youngCanadian. 

Cuthbert immediately remembered that he had seen the lone paddler turn alook that was a mingling of surprise and displeasure upon Owen when thecanoes passed in midstream, and his former thought that these two hadmet before, and that the husky lad might even have had to do with themournful black eye of the aborigine, came back with added force justnow; still, he was not the one to ask questions, and unless the otherchose to take his new friends fully into his confidence, whatever themystery that lay in his past must always remain so. 

"Yes, " went on Owen, bitterly, "it was meant to give notice to one whois interested in my movements that I had apparently changed my mind, anddid not intend to leave the neighborhood as speedily as had beenexpected--that's all. "

CHAPTER V. 

THE FALSE CHART OF DUBOIS. 

No more was said just then; but naturally enough both Cuthbert and Elicould not get the matter out of their minds. The duties of the hour hadoccupied their attention upon first landing--the pitching of thewaterproof tent, gathering of fuel, and kindred occupations incident togetting things ready for the coming night, so that now they could takethings easy. 

Cuthbert had some sort of rude map of the region, which he had purchasedfrom an old French-Canadian _voyageur_ during earlier stages of histrip; he did not know how reliable it might prove to be, though thus farthe young explorers had not found it amiss to any very great extent. 

When he found a chance he meant to drag this document out from its placeof hiding among the various charts of the Hudson Bay country which hecarried along, and get Owen's opinion as to its trustworthy character. 

This would give him an opportunity to renew his acquaintance with thelay of the land above, and in some way it might cause their strange newfriend to open his heart, and take them more fully into his confidencewith relation to his previous connections here. 

Cuthbert was pretty positive that there was some sort of a Hudson Baytrading post on this same stream, situated in an isolated quarter--mostof them went under the name of a fort, and indeed, they were built toresist any attack that might be made upon them by Indians or disorderlyhalf breeds; for there were at times vast quantities of valuable plunderheld in these posts, in the shape of rare peltries, and the many thingsthe trappers took in part payment for their winter's catch, so that aclean-out of a distant post would mean a serious loss to the greatcompany that for scores of years had carried on this business ofgathering the precious skins of silver foxes, lynx, badger, mink, otter, fisher, marten, opossum, beaver, bear, wolves and muskrats. 

The meal was, as we have seen, soon prepared, and partaken of with thatkeen relish known only to those who live in the open. 

As usual the boys had grouped themselves around the fire at the time thequestion of the smoke signals arose, each bent upon doing someindividual task, that had been upon his mind; for it is the naturalhabit after dining heartily to desire to rest from strenuous exertion, and take up little matters that require possibly only the manipulationof the hands, or the action of the brain. 

Eli seemed deeply interested in some specimens he had picked up close totheir noon camp, and which held forth alluring promises of copper--itwas the chief fad of his life to run across a lode of the valuable metalin this far-North country; and make his everlasting fortune that way;for in secret the Michigan lad hugged certain plans for future worldwidetravel to his heart, all of which, while extremely visionary at present, would be easily possible when his "ship came home, " and that rich copperdeposit cropped up before his eager eyes. 

Few boys there be who fail to have a hobby of some sort--with some it isthe pretty general craze for stamp collecting, others go in for coins, autographs, birds' eggs, specimens of birds, weapons of worldwidepeople, rabbits, pigeons--well, the list is almost inexhaustible, whenyou come to think of it. 

Cuthbert's weakness, as has already been seen, lay in the line of traveland exploration, and the chances were that as he grew older he woulddevelop into a bona fide Livingstone or a Stanley, eager to see farawaylands where the feet of a white man had probably never before wandered, and the mystery of which he might be the very first to unearth. 

With Eli it was copper, morning, noon and night; he asked a thousandquestions about the ore, where it had been found, what the character ofthe rocks peculiar to the region, and all such things, making copiousnotes the while, until as his comrade Cuthbert said, he should be aboutone of the best posted fellows in that line in the country--still, up tothis day he had not met with such a measure of success as to turn hishead; though Eli was a most determined chap, and bound to hold on afterthe manner of a bulldog, once he had taken a grip. 

Perhaps Owen also had his particular hobby; but if so the others had asyet been granted little opportunity of realizing what it was. 

Given time and it would no doubt develop itself. 

Cuthbert had a good deal of patience, and prided himself on his waitingqualities, so that he made little effort to hasten matters. 

As he had planned, however, while he sat by the glowing fire, which feltvery good on this cool night, he drew out the bunch of charts, and beganto absorb himself in the maze of lines and figures, anticipating thatwhen Owen saw what he had before him he must evince more or lesscuriosity concerning the same, and offer to pass upon their genuinevalue. 

The Canadian lad sat for some time staring into the fire, as though lostin self-communion; and Cuthbert could easily imagine that affairsconnected with his life in this country were engrossing his attention. 

Many a sly look did Cuthbert flash over that way, for somehow thereseemed to be a wonderful fascination about Owen's personality thatappealed strongly to him, though he found it utterly impossible toanalyze this feeling, in order to make out whether it was pure sympathytoward one who had evidently rubbed up against the hard places of lifewhile to him had been given the "snaps;" or on the other hand if itmight be the realization that in this waif of the Unknown Land his soulhad discovered the mate or chum for which he had looked so long and sofar--perhaps it might be a commingling of the two. 

Twice had Owen risen, and the other imagined he was about to come aroundto his side of the fire to glance over his shoulder at the charts; butboth times young Dugdale had simply stepped to the pile of wood and, taking up an armful, tossed it upon the dying blaze. 

Cuthbert was beginning to fancy he would have to make a move himself todraw the other's attention to what he was doing, so wrapped up did Owenseem in his own personal affairs; when suddenly he discovered that thosewonderfully keen gray eyes of the rover were glued upon the papers heheld upon his lap. 

Then it was that Owen did come around to his side of the fire, and thedisturbed look upon his face gave way to a bright smile as he remarked:

"I didn't notice what you had there, before. I was so bound up in my ownaffairs. I suppose those are maps of this country you have; perhaps Icould be useful in telling you whether they are accurate or not, for Irather guess I've picked up considerable information during these yearsof wandering in the woods here. If you don't mind me looking at them--"

"Why, to tell the truth that's just what I was wishing you would do, oldchap, but I hated to break in on your brown study. Here's asupposed-to-be reliable chart of this region, which I paid a man a goodsum to get up for me; but already I've found it more or less crooked, and have begun to lose confidence in its accuracy. Perhaps you couldshow up the faults, and set me right, so that if the time ever comeswhen I have to depend on the thing I won't get astray; for truth to tellit would be no fun to find oneself lost on these upper reaches of thegreat Saskatchewan. Sit right down here, and squint your optic over thisset of hen-tracks, made by the halfbreed, Dubois. "

"Dubois, you say--why, I know the fellow well. He ought to be able tomake a decent map of this country, for he's spent many years roamingover it, though I think he was more concerned about stealing some honesttrapper's pelts than anything else. Why, see here, he's made an awfulbotch of this thing right around this quarter, where he certainly knowsevery foot of ground. I suspect that the greasy old rascal had someobject in misleading you--I wouldn't put it past him to plan so that youmight be lost up here, when he and some companions just as unscrupulousas himself, would come on the scene and demand a big sum to get you outof the scrape. I know of several things he has done as bad as that, "remarked Owen, with indignation in his voice. 

So he began to point out the false lines in the map, and at Cuthbert'ssuggestion he erased the pencil lines and made new ones as he wentalong, so that at the end of an hour that particular chart was entirelychanged, presenting so new an aspect that the explorer was aroused todeclare that the miserable deceiver, Dubois, would hear something not tohis liking in case they ever met again. 

"This Hudson Bay post which you have marked on the river above us--whatis the name it is known by--he did not identify it except as a station?"asked Cuthbert, putting a finger on the cross. 

"Fort Harmony, " replied Owen, with a twitch about the corners of hismouth that seemed to be along the sarcastic order, as if deep down inhis heart the lad thought the name might be a misnomer, according to hisown experience. 

"I suppose it is something of a store, being so far up in thewilderness; and is in charge of--a factor, I believe they call theboss?" pursued Cuthbert. 

"Oh, yes. He is a grizzled old Scotchman, Alexander Gregory by name, whohas been in the employ of the company most of his life, and is known astheir most trusted agent. He is believed to be very rich; but though heis scrupulously honest and knows how to drive those under him to theirbest abilities, he is a harsh, cold-blooded man, seeking nocompanionship, making no warm friends, and apparently bent only onaccumulating wealth and doing his full duty to the company he hasserved so long a time. "

Cuthbert could easily read the strong tinge of bitterness in the other'svoice while he was thus talking, and he knew that whatever Owen'stroubles might be, they were connected in some way with this man ofiron, who for years had ruled after the manner of a despot in thisdistant country along the upper branches of the Saskatchewan. 

He was glad to know even so much about the man Gregory, whom he foundhimself beginning to dislike most cordially, even though he had never asyet set eye on his grim face, just because he believed the other hadabused Owen in some way. 

Owen seemed to remember himself just there, and would say no more alongthose lines, though quite willing to talk as long as his friend wishedin connection with the country, and the best route for them to follow. 

Another half-hour passed thus in communion, and Cuthbert picked upconsiderable information that was apt to prove of benefit to him in thefuture--just how valuable he did not then suspect. 

Eli had some time back given up his studies of the specimens he hadfound, and joined in the general conversation; and his views wereusually as shrewd as they seemed quaint, for he possessed many of thetraits generally accredited to the Yankee from Down-East; and a naturalkeenness had been further sharpened by his constant rubbing up againstall manner of men in the great logging camps of the Michigan peninsula. 

It was getting near the time for them to fix the fire for the night, andseek the shelter of their blankets, when Owen, whose hearing wasphenomenally keen, held up his hand, and remarked, with some show ofexcitement:

"Somebody coming this way through the woods--not from the direction ofthe post, but the other way. Perhaps it would be just as well to beprepared, for you never know who to trust up here until he proveshimself to be a friend!"

CHAPTER VI. 

THE TIMBER-CRUISER. 

Neither of the boys whom Owen addressed showed any particular signs ofalarm at his rather startling words, though Cuthbert quietly reached outand drew his faithful ally, the little Marlin repeater, somewhat closer, as though he felt safer thus; and Eli looked up to where the shotgun, which was his especial charge, leaned against an adjacent tree, withineasy reach. 

Both of them had been around considerable, and could not be consideredgreen in the ways of the woods; and it is habit as well as dispositionthat makes men cool in the face of peril. 

Plainly now the footfalls could be heard, for evidently the partyapproaching did not want to arouse suspicion on the part of the campers, and be met by a hostile shot. 

His figure loomed up presently in the semi-gloom beyond the range of thefirelight, and Cuthbert, when he first saw the tall, bulky form of thepilgrim, was of the opinion that no word could do the newcomer betterjustice than just the expression "loomed, " for he was pretty much of agiant. 

He was roughly dressed for the work of the woods, and carried a rifleof necessity, for a man would be several sorts of a fool who wanderedabout these wild parts without that mainstay to back him up, and lackingwhich he must of necessity starve in the midst of plenty. 

Cuthbert looked keenly at the fellow's face, being, as has been saidbefore, something of a reader of character. 

He instantly decided that he did not fancy the man--not that he was onthe surface other than a rough woods rover, with a laugh like the roarof a bull alligator, and a heartiness that seemed genuine enough; butsomething about his eyes caused the explorer to believe himdouble-faced. 

Eli could not see deep enough for that, and was ready to take the fellowfor just what he appeared, a big, rough-and-ready woodsman, full ofcoarse jokes, perhaps, but honest withal, a diamond that had never beenchipped. 

"Wall, bless my soul if it ain't three boys in camp here! Who'd asuspected sich a thing, away up in this kentry, too. Lots o' pluck tocome so fur, fellers; how's the huntin' now, and I hopes as how ye ain'tsettin' up in business as rivals ter me, ha! ha! In course I seen yerblaze jest a ways back, an' thinks I, what's the use in bunkin' aloneternight, Stackpole, yer old timber-cruiser, when thar's companionablechaps near by who won't object p'raps ter sharin' ther fire with ye? SoI tolddled along a little further, an' here I be. Jest say as I'mwelcome, an' let me enjoy the hospertality o' the occasion. Thunder! butthe blaze is mighty fine tonight, fellers. Guess it won't be far fromfrost by mornin' the way it is now. Hello! that you, Owen--well, who'd athought I'd run acrost ye here; ain't set eyes on ye this long spell. "

Owen made no reply, but there was a little curl to his upper lip thatCuthbert noticed, and he knew that the young Canadian held no very goodopinion of the giant timber-cruiser. 

The name Stackpole was not entirely unknown to Cuthbert, since it hadbeen mentioned by several people when speaking of the Far Northwest andthose who were to be met with there--and if his recollections werecorrect he was of the impression that the same Stackpole had been heldup as an example of a somewhat lawless character, who made a pretense ofcruising about looking for valuable timber in places where thelumbermen, soon to come, could float the logs down a river to a market;but who was suspected of other practices of a less honest character. 

At any rate Cuthbert scented trouble of some sort, and was greatlydisgusted in that the other had discovered their camp, as he haddeclared, by accident, for as yet there was no reason to suspect he hadany design in joining them. 

He hardly knew what to do in the matter, for it would seem to be theheight of foolishness to warn Stackpole off, and refuse him the littlefavor he asked, of spending the night by their fire, to enjoy theircompany--people who roam the woods have peculiar ideas of hospitality, and it is a serious infraction of the unwritten rules to deny a wandererthe privilege of the camp for a night. 

Surely they could stand his unwelcome presence for that short time; andif they maintained their usual custom of standing watch-and-watch alike, there would seem to be little chance of his doing them an evil turn. 

Accordingly Cuthbert allowed his face to appear pleasant, as though hemight even be delighted to have this wandering timber spy with them fora space, to enliven things a bit. 

"Sit down and make yourself quite at home. You're right, it is gettingsharp and I wouldn't be at all surprised to see signs of frost, thefirst of the season, in the morning. We're up here knocking about alittle, partly to hunt, but mostly because I've a penchant, that is, aweakness for exploring out-of-the-way places. Stackpole, did you sayyour name was?--well, mine's Cuthbert Reynolds, this is my friend, EliPerkins, and, you seem to know Owen, so I won't try to introduce him. Have you had supper--if not there's something in the pot that wouldn'ttaste bad if warmed up a bit?"

That was the way Cuthbert spoke, for he was naturally genial andgenerous, ready to divide anything he had with one in distress; only inthis case he felt that it was along the line of casting pearls beforeswine, for that ugly little gleam in the corner of Stackpole's shiftyeye warned him against trusting the fellow too far. 

"That sounds good, and I'm goin' ter take ye up on the proposition, young feller. I ain't had ary bite since noon, an' then 'twas a snackonly. Coffee--why, I've plumb forgot how she tastes, fact, it's been solong since I had a cup. An' stew, my, that smells prime. Say, it was amighty lucky streak that made me come along the river here, headin' furthe post. Thought I'd keep right along till I got thar, but 'twas tryin'business, an' I'd jest determined ter bunk down till mornin' when Iketched a glimpse o' this yer fire. Guess my old luck ain't petered outyit. "

He was evidently something of a talker, and liked to hear the sound ofhis own voice; but Cuthbert was of the opinion that the presence of Owenhad rather upset the big chap, and that some of this patter was intendedto hide his confusion, and allow him to figure out his standing there. 

The mystery surrounding Owen seemed to be growing deeper all the while, and the more these peculiar things came about the greater the desire onCuthbert's part to help the Canadian lad by all means in his power. 

He awaited his chance to see the other alone, so that he might ask a fewpertinent questions concerning Stackpole. 

This came in a little while, when, the coffee and stew having beenwarmed, the giant timber-cruiser was busily employed in disposing of thesame. 

Owen was down by the river's edge, apparently looking after the twoboats, so they would be safe for the night--he never missed anopportunity to handle the wonderful cedar canoe, running his hands overits smooth sides, and admiring its beautiful lines, so that this was nota peculiar occupation for him. 

Nevertheless, Cuthbert was rather inclined to believe that Owen wantedhim to saunter over that way, in order that he might say something hecould not well communicate in the presence of the unwelcome guest. 

So he got up, busied himself with a few things for a minute or two, andthen walked in the direction of the boats, conscious at the same timethat Stackpole had his shrewd eyes fastened upon him; and he couldimagine the sneer upon the boarded face of the woodsman, betraying howreadily he saw through the little game. 

"I imagine you know what sort of fellow he is, Owen. Now, I don't justfancy his looks, and even if you weren't here to tell me about him I'dkeep an eye on Mr. Stackpole during his stay in camp, " was what Cuthbertsaid in a low tone, as he sat down on the upturned cedar boat alongsidehis friend. 

"Well, that's the whole thing in a nutshell--it's a wise thing to keepwatch of that man when he's near anything valuable, for he's got areputation for being light-fingered, and I know he's been accused oflots of mean things up in this country. Most men are afraid of him, forhe can be an ugly customer in a scrap, and under that jolly laugh he hasthe temper of a devil. And to tell you the truth, he doesn't like meworth a cent. There's a story connected with it which I'll be glad totell you at the first chance, that is if you care to hear anythingconcerning my wretched and unhappy past. I think we'd better act as ifwe didn't suspect anything, only let him see we are here. Perhaps he'llgo away in the morning, but I don't believe that he's heading for thepost, because there's been bad blood between him and the old factor fora long while; and I guess Mr. Gregory is the only man in all these partsStackpole really has respect for. "

All of this Owen muttered into the ear of his comrade, meanwhile keepinghis eyes fastened upon the burly figure squatted in the camp beside thegenial fire, and noting how often Stackpole's glance wanderedsuspiciously toward them, as if the fellow wondered what he, Owen, mightbe telling the young fellow, whom he had already decided, if he did notknow it before, to be the ruling spirit of the expedition, and whoevidently held the purse, a very important consideration in the mind ofa man like the said Stackpole. 

"Yes, when you get good and ready to tell me I'd consider it a privilegeto know something more of your life here, old chap; and if anything Ican do will be of benefit, you understand that you're as welcome to itas the sunlight after a week of rain, " pursued Cuthbert; at which theother, overcome with emotion (for he had led a lonely life and neverknew what it was to have the counsel of a genuine friend) and unable toexpress his feelings in words, simply allowed his hand to creep alongthe keel of the cedar canoe until it met that of the generous-heartedCuthbert, when his fingers were intertwined with those of his new chum;nor were these latter loth to meet him half-way. 

There was a whole world of words in that eloquent handgrip, for soulspoke to soul; and the communion of interests that had been slowlydrawing them together ever since their strange meeting was cemented thenand there. 

They busied themselves around the boats for a short time, more to makeit appear that they had really sought the spot with the intention offixing things cozily for the night than because there was need of theirlabor; and during the minutes that elapsed Cuthbert managed to asknumerous questions about Stackpole, for when he learned from Owen thatin times past this fellow and the halfbreed Dubois, from whom he hadsecured the unreliable chart, had been boon companions, a disturbingthought was born in his mind that possibly there might have been more ofdesign than accident in the coming of the timber-cruiser on this night. 

The peace and charm that had up to this period marked the stay ofhimself and honest Eli in the wilderness seemed in a fair way to bedissipated; and who could say what sort of storm and stress lay beforethem--for one thing, he was glad that Owen had crossed his path, nor didhe mean that the other should ever go out of his life again--come whatwould, he was bound to look forward to a future shared in common byboth, whether in American wilds or some far-distant country wherewonderful things were awaiting discovery. 

CHAPTER VII. 

OWL AND TIMBER WOLF. 

When the two friends returned to the fire Stackpole was taking his easeand smoking furiously, Eli having possibly supplied him with tobacco ofa brand far beyond any to which he may have been accustomed in hiswanderings. 

Evidently, no matter what his suspicions may have been, the gaunt timbernomad was resolved to seem quite at his ease; indeed, his was a naturenot easily disturbed by possible trouble--he found the vicinity of thefire comfortable, and did not mean to forsake it in a hurry unless therewas urgent reason for decamping. 

Eli, in his wild life among the lumberjacks, had met with too manycharacters just like Stackpole, not to size the fellow up for just whathe must be; and while he carried on in a seemingly friendly way, he waswatching the other, with the idea of guessing his business in thisparticular region; for he judged that Stackpole seldom made a movewithout some suspicious object back of it. 

When a lad is thrown upon his own resources at a very early age he soonlearns to analyze people and their motives in a manner equal to aSherlock Holmes, and Eli had always delighted in trying to read thevarious types to be met with in the wilderness. 

Cuthbert was uneasy. 

The presence of this hulking rover took away from all the pleasure ofthe camp, and he was provoked to think they should be compelled toentertain one who was not only a stranger, but possessed of an unsavoryreputation. 

Still, he had been in the woods enough to be aware that there is anunwritten law governing hospitality around the campfire; and no matterhow unpleasant the presence of this timber-cruiser might be to him, hedid not wish to appear in the light of a boor. 

They were three to one, and having been forewarned they could keep ajealous eye on the said unwelcome guest so long as he remained; butCuthbert vowed to himself that with the break of day, and the morningmeal over, their paths must lie in opposite directions. 

Stackpole was no fool, and it did not take him long to discover thateach of the three lads kept his gun within reach of his hand all thetime; which fact announced as plain as words could have done that theyentertained suspicions concerning him, and did not mean to be caughtnapping in case he tried to make trouble of any sort. 

Now, while Stackpole was a fellow equal to two if not three of the boys, with regard to physical abilities, death and the possession of firearmslevels all such distinctions, and a bit of lead would sting just as muchfrom one of their guns as if it had come from the weapon of asix-footer; hence, he made up his mind to walk a straight line whileamong the possessors of all this hardware. 

His avaricious eyes wandered frequently toward the splendid Marlinrepeater owned by Cuthbert, and the fact was very evident that he enviedhim the possession of such a dandy gun, compared with which his batteredWinchester looked like "six cents, " as Eli remarked to himself when hecorrectly gauged the meaning of those sly glances. 

"He'll steal if he can, the skunk, " muttered the young logger, shakinghis head in his pet peculiar manner, which he always did when angered orpuzzled. 

And then and there Eli determined that he would not allow himself a winkof sleep that whole night; and that if Stackpole attempted any "funnybusiness" he would round him up with a sharp turn. 

They talked of many things while sitting there around the campfire; andthe man managed to make himself fairly agreeable; for he certainly wasmighty well posted in everything connected with the country Cuthbert, inhis enthusiastic simplicity had come so far to explore; and had he beenbuilt upon a different plan, Stackpole might have proven a valuable manto tote along--he had penetrated further in the direction of Hudson Bayand the Arctic shores beyond than any other man in the NorthwestTerritory, and proved this by describing many of the things encounteredby a well known explorer with whose work Cuthbert was quite familiar, and whose sole companion Stackpole claimed to have been. 

There is something more than mere knowledge to be desired in a companionon a long tramp, and this is reliance in his fidelity, cheerfuldisposition, and readiness to shoulder at least half of thelabor--without these qualities in a campmate much of the pleasure ismissing. 

Finally the boys began to find themselves yawning, for the day's toilhad been severe, with a strong current in the river to buck against, andthey had been up since peep of day. 

So they started to make preparations for sleeping. 

The giant timber-cruiser watched them get their sleeping-bags ready, that is, Cuthbert and Eli, with more or less curiosity, for evidently heknew little or nothing about such Arctic necessities, even though he hadaccompanied an explorer for many hundred miles into the great unmappedregion beyond Hudson Bay--at least he claimed to have done so. 

Perhaps there was also a bit of envy in the looks he bent upon theseevidences of comfort, for he could appreciate the value of suchcontrivances during a Northern winter, especially to a man whosebusiness was apt to take him outdoors, regardless of the weather. 

He had an apology for a blanket in his pack, and this he proceeded tospread upon the ground, selecting a spot close to the fire, where hecould toast his feet while he slumbered, a favorite attitude with suchnomads, as our young friends all knew. 

Owen, of course, had his third of the tent, but it had been alreadyarranged between the trio that all through the night one of them shouldstand guard, not because there appeared to be impending danger fromwithout, but on account of the unwelcome guest they entertained at theirfire. 

Not one of them grumbled, being built in a manner to meet suchemergencies cheerfully, and wrestle with difficulties in the same spiritas they would accept favors, a splendid combination in woods chums. 

No doubt Stackpole noticed that Owen, having made his bed ready, showedno disposition to occupy the same; but if he understood just why, he atleast made no comment, in which he displayed his good sense. 

He turned in "all standing, " simply lying down, rolling himself up inhis faded blanket, and with his pack-bag for a pillow, losing himself tothe world, so far as the boys could tell; though they noticed that hehad pulled his slouch hat so far down over his face that it was utterlyimpossible to see whether his keen eyes were closed or watching everymovement of his entertainers. 

Inside the tent our friends found a chance to confer, and thus a plan ofcampaign for the night was laid down. 

Then Cuthbert and Eli crawled into their sleeping-bags, for the nightwas inclined to be frosty, and there is a world of comfort in thesemodern contrivances, under such conditions; while Owen walked down tothe canoes, and with an arm thrown caressingly across the keel of theprecious cedar craft began his long and lonely vigil. 

He thought nothing of such a little hardship, having been accustomed tothe vicissitudes of the woods from childhood--to him the various soundsof the wilderness, after nightfall had come, were as familiar as thecackling of hens to a farmer's lad, and what was more to the point heread these signs so well that they one and all possessed a significancefar beyond any surface indications. 

But these forests of the Silent Land bear little comparison with thedepths of a tropical jungle, or the dense growth of an Africanwilderness where a multitude of animals make the air vibrate with theirroaring during the entire period of darkness. 

Sometimes in the daytime not a sound can be heard save the moaning ofthe wind among the tops of the pines, or the gurgle of some meanderingstream, all around being absolute silence, deep and profound. 

At night it? is not quite so bad, for then the hooting of a vagrant owl, or it may be the distant howl of a prowling timber wolf, that grayskulker of the pine lands, is apt to break the monotony; but even in themidst of summer there is lacking the hum of insects and the bustle ofwoods life--at best one hears the weird call of the whip-poor-will, called by the Indians, the "wish-a-wish, " or if near a marsh thecroaking of gigantic bullfrogs. 

Owen apparently had many things to engage his thoughts as he kept watchand ward over the camp of his new-found friends; and judging from hisrepeated sighs his self-communion was hardly of a cheerful character, for several times the boy gritted his teeth savagely, and clinched hisfist as though rebelling against some decree of fate that hadtemporarily upset his calculations. 

Once a name escaped his lips, and it was that of the old factor incharge of the Hudson Bay trading post further up the river; and almostin the same breath he murmured the word "mother, " tenderly, as thoughhis thoughts had flown backward to happy scenes so greatly in contrastwith his present forlorn conditions. 

Nevertheless, Owen did not forget why he was on guard, not for a minute. 

He had so placed himself when leaning his back against that adored cedarboat that he could keep watch over the camp, and particularly thatportion of it where Stackpole's elongated frame, rolled up like a mummyin his blanket, was to be seen. 

So often did the eyes of the lad fall upon the recumbent timber-cruiserthat the other could not have moved without attracting his notice. 

Stackpole was apparently sleeping like a log, for ever and anon hisstentorian breathing arose into something approaching a snore, thatsounded tremulously, like a mysterious note from a harsh Eolian harp setin the wind. 

Possibly, upon noting that Owen was to have the first watch the shrewdchap had made up his mind there would be nothing doing thus early in thenight, his chances being better later on when the "greenhorn, " as heerroneously denominated Cuthbert on account of his fine name and genteelappearance, had charge. 

Thus time crept along, midnight came and went, with young Dugdale stillholding the fort, as if he intended remaining there until dawn. 

Once only did he detect a movement on the part of the suspicious party;and then Stackpole twisted about as though desirous of assuming a newposition, and at the same time he raised his head and took a sweepingglance around, just as any woodsman might during the night, a habit bornof eternal watchfulness; yet under the circumstances it was more or lesssuspicious to see how the fellow completed his hasty survey by a quicklook in the direction of the boats, as if quite conscious of the factthat Owen was still there on guard. 

He immediately dropped back, and presently was heard the same pulsatingsound of asthmatic breathing, sometimes ending in a snort--if Stackpolewas still awake and pretending sleep he knew how to imitate the realarticle right well, Owen thought, shaking his head dubiously. 

If the Canadian lad thought to usurp the privilege of the others inextending his watch, he counted without his host, for Cuthbert camecrawling out of the tent shortly after the time he had set. 

CHAPTER VIII. 

THE CALL OF THE WILD. 

First of all the explorer stopped by the fire and tossed several heavybits of fuel upon the embers, doing this with the air of one who lookedupon such an act as second nature. 

Perhaps, if Stackpole were watching from under the shade of his hatbrim, he might alter his opinion with regard to the novice act, andbegin to understand that a fellow need not necessarily be raw to theways of the woods because he possesses means, and chooses to supplyhimself with certain comforts that are apt to come in handy--the best ofmoccasins, a modern quick-firing rifle that carries a small bulletcalculated to spread in mushroom shape upon striking the quarry and dothe work of a gun of much larger caliber, a sleeping-bag, a compactkerosene stove for the inevitable wet time in camp when the wood willnot burn--a veteran is apt to turn up his nose at such innovations, andgrowl that the simple life suits him as it did his forebears; but, whenthe rainy spell arrives he is just as willing to cook upon the littlestove he derided as the next one; and of a cold night, with the windhowling around like a fiend, give him an opportunity to snuggle downinside that cozy bag which had excited his contempt, and ten to one youwill be hardly able to divorce him from it at dawn. 

Cuthbert had tried both ways, and, like the sensible chap he was, decided that a man would be a fool to choose the old method with itslack of comfort when able to afford these modern luxuries. 

He stalked over to the boats, trailing his gun along, as Owen saw withgrim pleasure, for it told him Cuthbert had not changed his mind withregard to the character of their guest, and would undoubtedly keep aclose eye on Stackpole while his watch lasted. 

The other dropped down beside him, with a few words of greeting. 

Owen thought he detected a slight movement of the recumbent form, andbelieved Stackpole must be awake--he made no effort to sit up and lookaround, which in itself was somewhat suspicious, for a veteran of hiscaliber must have so educated his faculties that not a movement, howeverslight, could take place in a camp where he was sleeping without hisknowing it. 

The boys sat there and conversed in low tones for quite a long spell;indeed, Cuthbert had to almost drive Owen to the tent, so contented didthe Canadian lad seem to be in his company--lonely enough had his lifebeen since the loss of those he held dear, and there was somethinginfinitely precious to him in the cheery radiance of this optimisticYankee who had crossed his path at a period when he desperately needed afriend. 

Cuthbert settled himself down for a good siege when finally he had seenthe other crawl into the tent, for he was not to arouse Eli, who sleptlike a log, until it was after three by his little silver watch. 

He had made up his mind that if this pilgrim to whom they had givenshelter and food as become generous campers, showed any disposition topilfer he would treat him in a summary manner, and chase him into thewoods, just as any rascal should be made to decamp; and the fact ofStackpole's gigantic figure made not a particle of difference in hiscalculations. 

Whatever the fellow may have planned to attempt during the silentwatches of the night, his nerve evidently failed him, for he did notventure to make the least move; possibly the combination of these threedetermined-looking lads awed him more than he could care to admit, or itmight be he had other schemes up his sleeve whereby the same end couldbe accomplished without taking so much risk--at any rate Cuthbert sathis watch out, and after fixing the fire again, aroused Eli, who in turnsauntered over to the boats, carrying his patron's cherished gun, whichhe as dearly loved to fondle as a girl might a kitten. 

And if Stackpole saw this, as he evidently must under the shelter ofthat hat brim, he knew it would be a signal for trouble with a big T ifhe tried any queer business with these wideawake lads. 

Cuthbert was almost positive he heard him give a disgusted grunt as hesettled back for another snooze, and they heard nothing farther from himuntil morning, when he arose, yawning and stretching his huge bulk, asthough he had been dead to the world from the moment he lay down. 

They treated him decently and gave him an abundance of breakfast, whichthe big timber-cruiser gulped down with the eagerness of a hungry wolf;for it had been a long day since he tasted such delicious bacon andcoffee with flap-jacks to "beat the band, " as Eli said, made by Owen, who had proved to be superior as a cook to either of his new friends, the gift being a legacy from his mother, he confessed. 

Nevertheless, there was an air of restraint about their associationswith the woodsman, which he could not but feel, and therefore he madeup his bundle soon after, saying he must be on his way, and while theywere engaged in stowing the tent he took his departure, grunting somesort of thanks for the many favors he had received at their hands. 

If what Owen told them of the fellow's nature was actually so, thisgenerosity on the part of the young explorer would not count for a rowof pins when occasion arose whereby the temptation came to Stackpole toappropriate some of the expensive outfit his envious eyes had gloatedover during his stay with them. 

Our friends did not hasten their departure, for they wished to let himhave a long lead; for he had left the camp going in a direction that, ifpersisted in, would land him at Fort Harmony in due time. 

Owen had not changed his mind since the preceding night, when heasserted so positively that it was his opinion, judging from what heknew of the relations existing between this rover of the mighty woodsand the chief factor of the region, Stackpole would hardly turn up atthe post, since there had long been bad blood between these men, and thecruiser was too shrewd to put himself in the power of so strenuous anenemy as the grim old Scotch trading master, who ruled affairs in thisstretch of country as though he were king. 

"I think he only started in that direction to blind us; and that aftergoing a mile or less he will break off the trail and head where he wasaiming for last night when he saw our fire, and thought there might besomething worth picking up here, or else keep watch of our movements, "said Owen, as he pulled the cords tight around the bag that held thewaterproof tent, while the others were doing the same duty for thesmaller bags in which food and extra clothes had been thrust. 

Cuthbert chuckled as though greatly tickled. 

"Well, if that was his hope, I'm afraid he was bitterly disappointed inhis calculations, that's all. We kept him under cover, all right, andperhaps he's mentally kicking himself now over having wasted so manyhours peeping out from under that hat brim when he might just as wellhave been snoozing. "

Eli professed to be greatly disappointed, for he remarked dejectedly:

"Thought I might get a chance to try your gun, and I had just made up mymind like which leg I'd pepper if he tried to sneak anything away. Well, p'raps we may run across the critter again, and I'll just keep it inmind that it was the left leg I chose--he's got somewhat of a limp inthe right one now, and you see that'd sort of even things up. I don'tlike to see a lopsided feller nowadays. "

"Yes, I believe you're something of a philanthropist, Eli, alwayslooking out to do somebody good, even if you have to force it into themwith a hypodermic syringe or a shotgun. For my part, I don't care if wenever set eyes on old Stack again, for I fancy the fellow mighty little. There is something about his eyes that goes against my grain, a shiftylook that you see in a wolf. He's welcome to all he stowed away, but Ihope he doesn't fancy he has a standing invitation to drop in frequentlyto supper. "

CHAPTER IX. 

TRAPPER LORE. 

While the other two boys were finishing the packing of their stores Owenhad wandered up the bed of a creek that joined the river at a point justabove the site of their late camp. 

He had evidently noted something that aroused his interest, for theothers noticed him peering closely at the banks and examining a numberof things. 

"Now what in the world do you imagine he sees?" asked Eli, who waspossessed of a good lively streak of curiosity in his composition, andcould not observe these things without commenting on the same. 

"I was wondering somewhat along that vein, myself, and had come to theconclusion that Owen's trapping instinct has been aroused by certainsigns of the furry game for which every man in this region is always onthe alert. Nothing else I can think of would interest him so, " returnedCuthbert. 

"Well, here he comes back again, and from the smile on his face Iimagine he wants us to take a look, too. "

"I'd just like to, for I've heard so much about the fur business sincestriking this wild country that it seems a shame not to be betterposted. I know a lynx from a common everyday bobcat, and can tell anotter when I see it; but there are a thousand or two little thingsconnected with the trade of a trapper that are just so much Greek to me. You notice I've been pumping him every chance I got, and perhaps he seesan opening to make a demonstration. We're in no big hurry today, and I'dbe only too willing to hold over a bit if I could add to my pump ofpractical knowledge. "

"Me, too, " echoed Eli, who, although a woods dweller all his life, hadnever made a practice of taking furs; and unless one goes into thisbusiness at first hand the result is always disappointing. 

One week with an everyday trapper along the lines of his traps will domore toward giving a novice a fair insight into the strange business ofoutwitting the cunning bearers of fur coats than all the guides everwritten. 

For once Cuthbert had made a bullseye guess. 

When Owen reached them he was holding some little object up forobservation. 

"Do you know what that is, boys?" he asked. 

Both of them took a good look. 

"Looks like a bunny's paw, " said Eli, dubiously. 

At this Cuthbert laughed. 

"Down in my section of Old Virginny the coons like to get rabbit's footfor a charm; it is said to keep the evil spirits away, especially iftaken from a graveyard rabbit. Can it be possible there are fellows upin this benighted region of the same mind? But that is not a rabbit'sfoot, I think, Owen, " he said. 

"What then?" asked the Canadian. 

"I don't know for certain, but if I made a guess I should say mink. "

"Good enough for a hap-hazard guess. Mink it is, and the little animaljust gnawed it off himself, last night, for you can see it is quitefresh. "

"Gnawed it off himself, did you say? What in the world would he be foolenough to do that for?" demanded Cuthbert looking closely to see whetherthe other gave any signs of joking, but failing to find any. 

"Well, for one thing, he could not find anybody to do it for him. "

"Oh! and was it so very important that Mr. Mink should drop one of hislittle footsie-tootsies in that way? Is it the habit up here for theseanimals to go around cm three legs?"

"No; but you see he was silly enough to believe that it was better togo along the balance of his natural life with three feet rather than togive up his nice soft pelt to grace the back of some lady in Montreal orNew York or London, " returned Owen, gravely, twirling the littlereminder around between his fingers, and looking at it as though hebelieved it could tell a sad story if only it were gifted with the powerof speech. 

"Now I see the reason. The mink had been caught in a trap, and aftertwisting and turning until it had torn its leg fearfully, as is seenright there, in desperation it finished the amputation itself; not thatit was afraid of decorating some high born dame's back, but because itwas threatened with starvation if it sat there in the trap indefinitely. How's that, brother?" he declared. 

"About as near the facts as any one could come, for that is just whathappened to our poor little friend here. He'll have to hobble around onthree legs for the balance of his natural life; but that's better thanknocking under now. And, of course, some trapper, an Indian, probably, is out a valuable skin through his carelessness. "

"But how does it come that more of the little beasts, all of them, infact, don't do the same thing? I should think it would be necessary toguard against it, " remarked the Virginian. 

"That is just it. I said this trapper was out a skin through sheercarelessness, for it is a slovenly way of trapping to let a nice minklike that get away. If you care to step this way with me I'll show yousomething which perhaps neither of you have ever seen before, and isworth remembering. "

They were only too willing, for already what Owen had said was arousingmuch curiosity within their minds, and they could not bear to let achance to have this gratified pass by without taking advantage of thesame. 

He jumped down into the gully through which the little creek ran, comingfrom the hills far away, and winding in and out through the timber, often being fairly choked with brush, so that an expert would find itdifficult to make headway. 

Still, down near its mouth it was more open, and they could wander alongfor quite some distance without great effort. 

The banks were sloping in places, and rather inclined to be precipitousin others, but at no place more than half a dozen feet in height. 

After going up for some little distance Owen stopped. 

"Here is where our little friend lost his foot and there is the trapthat helped to take it off, " he said, pointing to a rusty Newhouse No. 2that was lying in full view, chain and all, by the edge of the water. 

Stooping over Cuthbert saw that the jaws were marked with a stain, andbits of fur, proving the truth of Owen's assertion. 

"Sure as you live it did, and there was no surgeon's fee for thatamputation, either. Now go on and tell us why this happened, and what isto prevent it being the rule, rather than the exception, " he saideagerly. 

"First of all, I must explain how mink are located, and something oftheir habits, or you will not understand. They are nearly always foundalong the banks of a small stream that empties into a larger, just as inthis case. 

"The female mink have settled places of abode, while the male arerovers, and roam up and down the creek for a distance of about two milesin either direction. Now, when a trapper has made up Ms mind that acertain stream is the home of a considerable number of mink he comes outin the early fall, some time before the regular trapping months open, and gets things ready for his season. 

"Along the edge of the little bluff near the water line he digs holesabout three feet back into the bank and some nine inches across thefront, throwing water about the place to kill the scent of his presence, and a little driftwood in and around the hole, so that it will seemnatural to the suspicious animal. 

"These holes are made about a hundred feet apart, and are then left fora couple of weeks, and when you go back to set your traps you will besurprised to discover that almost every hole shows marks of mink havinggone in and out, searching for mates. 

"When they set the traps it is the regular thing to fasten the end ofthe chain out just so far in the water, where it is deep enough to drownthe mink; once the trap snaps upon the leg of the animal its instinctcauses it to spring into the creek, and being weighed down by the trap, it is soon drowned; this saves needless suffering, does not injure thefur, and prevents the mink gnawing off its own foot in the mad desire toescape. "

"Say, that's mighty interesting, now, " declared Eli, bending down toexamine the trap again; "I didn't know there was so much to the peskybusiness--had an idea all you had to do was to find where the animalsheld out, stick a trap there, and go out the next day and grab yourfur. "

Owen laughed heartily at this. 

"I'm afraid such a trapper would not get enough mink, otter, fox, oreven muskrat skins to buy his tobacco in a season. Why, these littlevarmints are just chain lightning when it comes to cleverness, and theycan sometimes outwit the smartest old trapper who ever drew breath. There are a thousand secrets connected with the business, and no one mancarries them all. Many of these have been handed down from some of thoseold fellows who used to spend their lives trapping for the Hudson Bayand the Northwest Fur Companies at the time these two were great rivalsover the whole of the fur country. You'd find it a most interestingsubject if you ever chose to dig into it. Of course, I've picked upquite a few of these secrets and can do my share of a season's work, though it never did appeal to me strongly enough to carry it on as abusiness. If you went along up this stream you'd find a dozen traps ormore, some of them perhaps with a mink or, it might be, an otter intheir jaws, but always drowned. Now, I'm going to leave this foot justwhere I found it. This man ought to be more careful. In the eyes of afirst class worker it's a sign of poor business to find a foot in atrap. Perhaps he'll take warning and improve his methods. I hope so, forI don't like the idea of a number of these poor little beasts hoppingaround on three legs for the balance of their lives. "

"I can see that nature never intended you for a trapper, Owen, " remarkedCuthbert, sagely; "for you have too much sympathy in your composition. Iimagine a man has to harden himself to all such things before he canbecome a successful fur gatherer; but then it is necessary that thereshould be some people follow such an occupation, else what would all ourlovely girls do for wraps? After all, the taking of furs does notcompare in cruelty with the shooting of herons and other birds by thetens of thousands, just to pluck an egret or plume and toss the bodyaway. That is a cruel deed that ought to make every woman blush who everwears an egret on her hat or bonnet. But what you've been telling us ismighty interesting, do you know? I am determined to learn all I canabout this strange business while here on the spot. Nothing like gettingthings at first hand. Are other animals taken in the same way?"

"To some extent. Whenever it is a water animal they are drowned whencaught. Even beaver have to be treated that way. "

"But these animals live under the water, don't they? Then how can theybe so easily drowned?" asked Cuthbert; but immediately adding: "Ofcourse, I know they have to come to the surface at stated intervals tobreathe. I suppose the trap holds them down beyond their allotted time, and then they suffer, just as a fellow might after a minute had passed. Now, foxes are caught on the land--are they ever know to gnaw their footoff to get free?"

"Oh, yes. Trappers look more closely to their fox traps, you see, forthey are always hoping to catch a silver, and that means a fortune, "said Owen. 

"I suppose by that you mean a silver or black fox. I have heard theywere worth a big sum of money, and quite rare. What do the pelts bringas a usual thing?" asked Cuthbert. 

"I believe as high as two thousand dollars for one fur, but that musthave been a mighty fine one. I knew one man who received eight hundred, and I suppose the fur trader who bought it from him sold it again for athousand anyway. Some men have been lucky enough to take several silversduring the whole of their trapping lives, while others have waited forforty years and never caught a single one. But every fur gatherer livesin hopes, even the Crees and Ojibwas indulging in these anticipationsthat may never be realized. It is the highest priced skin to be foundashore. A sea-otter may bring more, but I doubt it. "

"You've seen the pelts then?" asked Eli, whose eyes were sticking out atthis intelligence, for it seemed to him just then that a brisk trade insilver foxes was even more to be desired than a copper mine. 

"Oh, yes, often, at a post where they were brought in. Some are onlyseconds or thirds and worth far less than a first class article. Iremember one case that was pretty rough. A trapper had a beautiful skin, that would have brought him a little fortune; but when the factor cameto examine it he found it almost worthless on account of being torn by acharge of shot at close quarters. "

"That was a shame, " declared Cuthbert, who was eagerly listening to allthese remarks on the subject of trapping; "but if silver fox pelts areso very valuable I should think some enterprising fellow with an eye tobusiness would start a farm and raise them for the market. "

"Just what I was going to say. There would be big money in the deal if afellow had the right ground, and bought a pair to begin with, " exclaimedEli. 

"It's easy enough to get the ground. Others have succeeded to someextent with red foxes, though at first they lost every one, for thecunning rascals burrowed under the fence; but a way was found to preventthat by digging down a yard, filling it with stones, and running a heavywire mesh back several feet. Of course the foxes kept on burrowing alongthe fence, but seemed to lack sense enough to start in five feet back soas to avoid the obstruction. Their cunning has a limit, and beyond thatthey're as stupid as any animal. "

"But how about the silvers--what is the obstacle that stands in the wayof making such a fox farm a success? Perhaps they refuse to breed incaptivity--I've heard of animals acting that way, even skunks at times, "said the Virginian. 

"No trouble in that line particularly, I believe. The great obstacle tosuccess lies in the fact that the silver fox is not a distinct type atall, but a freak, " smiled Owen. 

"A freak--that is, it can't be depended upon to reproduce its like?"

"Never does, in fact. From a pair of silvers you will get red foxes, that's all. It's been proven again and again, and yet I've heard ofseveral parties with more money than brains starting a silver fox farm. Don't you ever allow yourself to be tempted to put cold cash into sucha game, either of you, " continued the young Canadian, tossing thesevered foot of Mr. Mink down by the cruel trap that had beeninstrumental in relieving the poor animal of his useful extremity. 

The trapper would find it there, and understand just what had happened, doubtless profiting by his blunder and setting the trap right next time. 

All might have been avoided had he staked the end of the chain farenough out in the water, so that the animal when caught would have beendrowned by the weight of the steel trap. 

Cuthbert seemed loth to give over questioning the boy who knew about thevarious ways of circumventing these cunning little varmints of thewilds; he found himself deeply interested in the matter and could nothear enough on the subject. 

To his mind there must ever be a halo of romance connected with thelives of those old-time French-Canadian voyageurs who, in early days, used to paddle all the way from Montreal to Fort William on the northernshore of the "big water, " Superior, to collect the great and valuablebundles of pelts brought in to the post in the Spring by the manytrappers connected with the company, some of them white, but mostlyfull-blood Indians or halfbreeds speaking French. 

He had read considerable of their doings before making this trip intothe region of the mighty Saskatchewan, being desirous of posting himselfon the subject; but interesting as it may have seemed then, when seatedin his luxurious apartment in a New York hotel, it was doubly so nowthat he was on the ground. 

Why, these very woods must have witnessed many a scene such as thosedescribed, and he could easily picture the flotilla of batteaux movingup or down the river, propelled by the muscular arms of the huskyvoyageurs, while upon the still air rang out their famous Canadian boatsongs. 

It thrilled him to even think of it, and the surroundings assumed a newaspect in his eyes; perhaps those days were gone, never to return, andthe trappers of today might prove to be merely ordinary Indians, or suchrascally fellows as Stackpole and Dubois; but Cuthbert did hope thatonce at the post he might be able to hear some of the songs that havecome down from the old days, filled with the romance of the pines, thebirches, the larches, and the hemlocks that hung over those earlypioneer camps in the wilderness. 

"I'd like to ask you one thing, " said Eli, as they slowly walked backin the direction of the camp. 

"All right. A dozen if you like, and I'll be only too glad to answerthem if I can. There are some things that even a fellow who has spentyears up here, and kept his eyes and ears open all that time, couldn'tanswer. Go on, Eli, " said Owen promptly. 

"I've taken a few animals myself over in the Peninsula, but not havinghad any advice I guess I bungled the job somewhat. Anyhow, they saiddown in St. Louis, where I sent my bunch, that they were misfits, and Isuppose it must have been so, if a fellow was to judge from the size ofthe check they sent on. Since then I've been told that all animals can'tbe skinned alive. Is that so? I just sliced 'em down, and peeled off thejackets in the best way I could. Of course I knew enough to have thinboards to fasten the pelts to when drying, and they seemed to be allhunk when I shipped 'em; but somewhere I biffed it. Now, what d'yes'pose was wrong with my work?"

Owen smiled as if he knew instinctively. 

"When they said the furs were misfits they meant that you had not takenthem off the right way. Some skins have to be cased, that is removedentire, or turned inside out, and not cut down the belly first, whichinjures their sale. All skunk, marten, mink, fox, 'possum, otter, weasel, civet, lynx, fisher and muskrat have to be treated this way. Other animals should be cut open, such as the beaver, wolf, coyote, 'coon, badger, bear and wild cat. They cut off the tails only of suchchaps as have a rat-like appearance--'possum and muskrat. In all othercases the tail is a part of the fur, and a valuable one, too, as I havefound out to my cost. The bone is of course taken out, which can be donewith only a small split. "

"All this is mighty interesting to me, " remarked Cuthbert. 

"You can just bet it is. What else, Owen? Is there any difference aboutthe way skins are fastened to the drying boards? I might have blunderedthere too, and that would help make a misfit, eh?" ventured Eli, grinning. 

"Well, it would, without a doubt. It is just as well for any youngtrapper to get thoroughly posted on these subjects before he tries totake any fur, or all his work during the winter may go for nothing. I'veseen packs of pelts ruined by just that thing--they were cased the wrongside out and could not be remedied. Some have to be cased with the furside out, and others with the pelt exposed to the air. Those that arebetter with the fur out are fox, weasel, lynx, fisher, otter, martenand wolf. The others must have the pelt outward so that the air can getto it in plenty. And then again some trappers spoil their catch in partby drying near a fire or in the sun. The best way is to hang them in theopen air in the shade, and let them have plenty of time, making sure toclean them thoroughly of all fat and bits of meat. "

"There's one thing that strikes me about this business, and the more Ihear about it the firmer grows my conviction that after all the takingof furs and curing the same is an art. Who'd think there was so muchthat is interesting in the capture of wild animals, and preparing theirskins for the market. Then again I suppose these big houses that buy inbulk have ways of handling the furs that increases their value a greatdeal. The fur we see on the shoulders of our fine ladies has mightylittle resemblance to the pelt the poor trapper brings in to the post, and trades for tobacco, powder and shot, tea, sugar, coffee and suchindispensables, not to mention whiskey, " suggested Cuthbert, wisely. 

At this Owen shrugged his shoulders. 

"There you have me. I have a limit to my knowledge, and it stops withthe capture and drying of the pelts. What takes place after they get inthe hands of the dealer I know nothing about, only that they have mightycute ways of dyeing many of the cheaper grades, and calling themsomething else. A skunk would not sell for as much under its own name assome high sounding one; for you know there is always an unpleasantassociation connected with the skunk. "

"You just bet there is, " avowed Eli, heartily, as with the conviction ofone who knows whereof he speaks; "it associated with me for a whole weekonce, up in a lumber camp, and by ginger, it was the only thing thatwould associate with me till my new clothes came along and I could burythe old ones. After that my curiosity about the cunning little stripedbeast that used to slink across the tote road was satisfied, andwhenever I saw one I'd give a whoop that could be heard a mile away andrun for my life! They got to know that yell, and whenever any of theboys heard it they'd laugh and say: 'There's that fool Eli huntin'polecats again. ' But I wasn't, not by a jugful; I was giving him a wideberth, and taking off my hat to him in the bargain. Oh! ever since thatday I've had the greatest respect you ever heard tell of for the ornerylittle critters. "

By this time they had arrived at the mouth of the little creek, andclimbed out upon the upper level. 

"I'd think the fur bearing animals would be pretty well cleaned outalong here, so close to the post, " remarked Cuthbert, still harping onthe subject. 

"They are as a rule; but when a place is let alone a few years theyincrease again; and I guess that's what has happened here. In the lastfifty years this creek may have been cleaned out a dozen or two times, and then let alone for a spell to grow up again. This year it's beinggone over again, and from certain signs I noticed, the trapper isreaping quite a little harvest. He was an Indian, too, " said the other. 

"I suppose you can tell from signs whether a white man or an Indian isworking along a stream; no doubt they have different ways of doingthings. I thought the only way to know was to look at the moccasintracks, as an Indian toes in, while a white man walks with his toesout, " pursued Cuthbert. 

Owen laughed as though pleased. 

"That's an old and exploded theory. Why should a white man brought up inthe wilds toe outward, as though he wore shoes? With moccasins on hisfeet, and used to them from a baby, he walks just like a red. But thereare many ways of telling whether it is a white or Indian at work. Onlylong practice will do this. I could not explain it, but if the chancecomes I'll promise to show you what I mean. "

And with this they rested content, having learned considerable about theart of fur gathering and curing in this little talk. 

CHAPTER X. 

MAGIC IN THE BERRIES. 

The sun was just peeping above the horizon, but the air still remainedchilly after the long night; to husky boys this amounted to little, andas soon as the camp was abandoned they would soon warm themselves upwith paddle exercise, for it was no childish work battling against thatswift current. 

"Anyhow, it was a mighty comfortable camp, " remarked Cuthbert, as theymoved away, and his eyes rested fondly upon the scene of their lastnight's experience; so it ever is with those who live the life in theopen, for the unconscious things appeal to their affections, and astaunch boat, a favorite paddle, a gun, knife, belt hatchet, or even thespot where they found comfort and built their shrine at which theytemporarily worshiped, the campfire, arouses emotions in their heartsthat cannot be fully appreciated by those not of the mystic guild. 

Owen led the way in his bullboat. 

He was more than usually silent after his talk over the trap and thepoor little mink's foot up the creek, and Cuthbert wondered what itmight be that affected him--could the coming of Stackpole have hadanything to do with it--the idea was not impossible, for he hadevidently known the gaunt timber-cruiser before, and if the story of theboy's sad past were known the gigantic woodsman might occupy a place init. 

Still, upon reflection, Cuthbert was of the opinion that there must beanother reason for his thoughtfulness this morning. 

He remembered what hints Owen had let fall concerning the old factorconnected with the Hudson Bay post, and that there had been troublebetween them; many things gave Cuthbert the opinion that the other hadbeen fleeing from the region at that time they made his acquaintance sostrangely, not in terror, but rather in anger, and he felt sure strangehappenings had been taking place at the post on the day preceding thestorm. 

If so, then it was the fact that he must evidently soon face the sternfactor again that disquieted Owen so; the way in which he tried hard tothrow off his morose mood, and answer the sallies of his comrades in aspirit of frolic proved that he was fighting against his nature, and hadlaid out a course which he was determined to tread, no matter what painor distress it brought in its train. 

At any rate, it would soon appear what ailed the lad, and Cuthbert, greatly as he wished to know Owen's story, had too much delicacy toinfluence him in the telling; he had promised to open his heart to thisnew and sympathetic chum, and all would come when the spirit moved. 

About an hour after leaving camp they suddenly came upon two bullboatsthat were descending the river swiftly, in each of which a trio of CreeIndians sat or knelt, wielding the paddles after the deft manner ofthose with whom the art has become second nature. 

Cuthbert did not anticipate any trouble from these fellows, who wereevidently in the employ of the fur company; but he was keen to noticehow they took the presence of the young Canadian in the company ofstrangers, realizing that they must in all probability know him, and beacquainted with whatever of trouble had hovered around him of late. 

Just as he expected, they seemed surprised at sight of Owen, and hastywords were passed among them; but they made no motion to interfere withthe forward progress of the two boats, and answered the civil salutationof Cuthbert with a series of "how-hows" until the current had swept thempast; but it might have been noticed that not once did their shrewdblack eyes leave the figure of the young Canadian squatted in his oldboat, and sweeping his spruce blade back and forth methodically, as heurged his craft against the stream. 

"They know him all right, and are more than surprised to see him with aparty of strangers, heading upstream. Now, I wonder if they were sentout to look for a fellow of his description? Gee, but this is aconundrum, all right, " whispered Cuthbert to his fellow paddler, atwhich Eli grunted and nodded assent. 

The young Canuck guide in the lead did not so much as turn his headafter the boats containing the Indians had passed, but continued to diphis paddle in and out with the methodical rhythm so characteristic ofthe voyager who has spent his life amid these scenes. 

No so Cuthbert, whose curiosity had been excited in connection with theuntutored sons of the wilderness--ever and anon he twisted his headaround so that he could secure a survey of the river below; and on suchoccasions Eli kept his eager eyes on the face of his comrade, knowingfull well that should there be anything happening he would discover itreflected there. 

About the fifth time Cuthbert turned thus he gave vent to a littleexclamation, whether of satisfaction or annoyance it would have beendifficult to say, and immediately whispered to Eli:

"They're coming all right, just as I expected, old fellow. That provesmy idea correct, and that they had been sent out from the post, to findwhat had become of the youngster. He knows they are coming after us justas well as I do, but he's too proud to give them a single look. I likehis grit, and between you and me, he's going to show us something beforelong. I'm in a fever to set eyes on that same old Tartar, Alex Gregory. Already I seem to dislike him immensely, and possibly I'll end by hatinghim good and hard. He's more than a little to blame for Owen's troubles, whatever they may be. Say nothing, Eli, but keep your eyes open. "

"What if the copper-skinned critters attack us--I've got my gun handy, and I give you my word there'll be the very old dickens to pay if theystart rough-housing it with us, " answered the young logger; and it wasnot in a boastful spirit that he spoke, for Eli usually showed a modestdisposition; only he, too, had taken a great fancy to the new chum whohad been sent to them by such a freak of fortune, and Cuthbert'sintimation that the other must be the victim of oppression rather riledhim. 

"Oh, I have no idea they will try any funny business; they know we arearmed, and besides they have their orders from the head boss. You'llfind that they only mean to tag after us, keeping on our heels untilsure we mean to go to the post. These chaps possibly saw that smokesignal the other Cree we met downstream sent up, and they knew Owen wassomewhere around. You noticed that they just stared at him all the time, and paid little attention to us. Well, let it go at that; we'll be aptto know a heap more than we do now when another day comes along. Onething I'll wager a lot on, and that is he's worth sticking to throughthick and thin, eh, Eli?" ventured the explorer, earnestly. 

"You bet!" was the laconic but expressive answer he received, andCuthbert, who knew the logger so well, understood all that was implied. 

Eli also glanced back just before they turned a bend, and as there wasquite a little stretch of clear water back of them ere the streamtwisted its way around a big bunch of birch trees that stood likesentinels on a projecting knoll, he was able to see the two bullboatscome around the curve, and follow grimly in their wake, the occupantsevidently making no effort at speed, for had they chosen they could havegiven our youngsters a warm proposition in the way of a race, theirmuscles being inured to the monotonous labor of the paddle. 

Cuthbert began asking questions of Owen, who allowed the other boat togain a position alongside, so that conversation might be the more easilycarried on. Thus he learned that, proceeding leisurely they wouldreadily make the Hudson Bay post ere nightfall; had there been anyreason for haste this time might have been shortened by several hours;but it suited all of them to arrive around the sunset hour. 

Having an abundance of time they went ashore at high noon, built a fireand had quite a healthy little lunch, washing it down with a pot ofcoffee, the delightful aroma of which must have reached the nostrils ofthe Cree paddlers who had drawn their boats ashore just below, for thewind lay in that quarter. 

Cuthbert expected to hear from those who were playing this comical gameof tag, and, indeed, he had purposely caused the coffee to boil madly inorder that the appetizing scent might be wafted with the breeze;consequently when Eli declared one of the Indians was advancing towardthe fire, the explorer grinned as though he might be patting himself onthe back over having accomplished a rather pretty piece of strategy. 

The fellow came directly up to where they sat finishing their meal. 

Cuthbert did not altogether like his looks, but then he realized that hewas hardly capable of judging a good Indian from a bad one, since he hadonly a limited experience with the natives--what appeared to be ascowling phiz to him might seem only the natural expression to be foundupon the dusky faces of these Saskatchewan dwellers of the woods, whenviewed by Owen. 

As he drew near the Indian made certain mysterious motions with hishands, which Cuthbert understood must be the peace signs, and he beganto imitate the other, not wishing to be outdone in politeness. 

"How, " said the copper-colored intruder, with a rising inflection. 

"How, " repeated Cuthbert, in just the same tone of voice. 

"You camp boss?" pursued Mr. Lo, keenly eyeing the young fellow, asthough he might be dubious concerning this fact. 

"Well, perhaps you might call me that, seeing this is my outfit; butjust say that I'm an Easy Boss, and let it go at that. Now, what can Ido for you?" remarked the explorer, who was as yet unknown to fame, butwho had aspirations. 

"Huh, you got um coffee--we smell um good--can stand no more--s'pose yougive Injun drink, him be glad, much so--no have coffee many moons--setum up in other alley--how?" was what followed, much to the amusement ofboth Cuthbert and Eli, for evidently the fellow had seen a bowling alleyin Winnipeg, or some other city. 

"Well, I like your nerve, my copper-colored friend, which I see youcarry with you all the time; but after all I don't know that I can blameyou asking, for the smell of good coffee is enough to set any chap wild. What is your name, may I humbly inquire?" ventured Cuthbert, keeping avery straight face, though he could hear Eli chuckling, and wanted tolaugh outright himself; for it was evident that while music is said tohave "power to soothe the savage beast, " the aroma of the subtle coffeebean in the process of cooking seemed capable of subjugating the savageman himself, and bringing him to "eat humble pie, " as Eli put it. 

"Name all same Springing Elk--son of Chief Wolf-killer, him same head ofCrees on big river Saskatch. You say we have coffee--ugh, much good, andwe not forget, " and not waiting to receive additional assurance heraised his hand to his mouth and gave vent to a series of sharp barksor yelps that must have been an eagerly awaited signal conveying goodnews to his mates, for immediately the whole bunch started for thecampfire of the three boys. 

Cuthbert, in an aside, asked Owen if they need fear any danger from theCrees; but the young Canuck shook his head in the negative, answeringback:

"Not at all. The only failing they have is a weakness for appropriatinganything that strikes their fancy, when they think no one is looking, and I think we can avoid that by being on guard all the time until weembark again. They are crazy about coffee, and would go to great troubleto get a drink of the stuff. "

Nevertheless, Eli, though hearing what was said, did not feel disposedto take any great stock in the pacific intentions of the heathen; he hadread stories of their treacherous nature, and heard men speaking soderisively about the "only good Indian being a dead Indian, " that hefelt it his bounden duty to maintain a watchful eye upon the sextettewhile they were present, all the while keeping his gun in his clasp, ready to meet any emergency that might arise. 

But then Eli had led a hard life, and there was considerable excuse forhis suspicious nature--we are often creatures of circumstances andenvironment, and his school had been the rough logging camps, where theworst that is in men usually crops out. 

Cuthbert busied himself in making a new pot of coffee, an operationwhich the group of bucks watched with glistening eyes; and when a littlelater the steam began to pour out from the nozzle of the pot, and thearoma struck their olfactory nerves, really several of them could notstand it, but had to walk away, those more masterful standing on onefoot and snuffing the air, while their expressions in anticipation wouldhave done credit to so many children. 

They each had two big tin cups of the decoction, steaming hot, andundefiled by either sugar or condensed milk, showing that they possessedthe proper taste for the beverage of the gods, according to the ideas ofthose who grow the royal berry, and know how it should be drunk. 

Cuthbert had accommodated the untutored sons of the forest partlybecause he had a warm heart, and again with the half-formed idea thatpossibly his little party might benefit from the act in thefuture--frequently the old saying of "bread cast upon the watersreturning after some days" comes true. 

Still, there was a limit to his indulgence; and he certainly did notintend to allow this thirsty crowd of skin-hunters to become regulationcamp-followers; his supply of coffee would not long stand the strain, even if his patience did. 

So as soon as the last cups were drained of every drop of the deliciousfluid the boys captured the same, deposited them in the receptacle wherethey belonged, thrust this into the cedar canoe, and then Cuthbert, asmaster of ceremonies, cried out:

"Yo-ho, all aboard!"

In another minute the canoes of the expedition began to cleave thewaters, headed upstream. 

The Indians also tumbled into their boats, nor were they longersatisfied to hang back one or more hundred yards as formerly--thatelixir had quite captured their hearts, and they scrambled to keep inclose proximity to the magical "floating coffin, " as they denominatedthe cedar canoe, as if they could scent future feasts along the line ofthat which they had just enjoyed. 

Cuthbert laughed over the situation more than a few times, and declaredthat he need fear no evil from the copper-faced denizens of the timbercountry so long as a shot remained in their locker--a grain of Java intheir caddy. 

But the Indians after a while struck a faster gait and vanished around abend above, nor did they see them again for several days, when theyarrived at the trading post. 

They paddled leisurely, with Owen leading the way as before, for beingfamiliar with the region he would know how to time matters so that theyshould reach the vicinity of the post. 

As the afternoon waned Cuthbert could see that the other was strugglingwith some strong emotion, and he understood that it must be connectedwith the return trip he was making to the post, which he had evidentlyabandoned for good at the time of his hasty run down the river. 

He fancied that Owen might take occasion to give them some inkling as tohow matters stood with him here, for he had promised to reveal thesecret of his lonely life at the first favorable opportunity; butsomehow he did not appear to be in the humor just then, being wrapped upin his own gloomy reflections. 

'Well, it could not long be delayed now, and Cuthbert, being built alongthe lines of a patient and philosophical lad, felt that he could wait. 

CHAPTER XI. 

A BREAK IN THE CHAIN. 

About the middle of the afternoon Cuthbert's eye caught a situation onthe shore that seemed to appeal particularly to him as a place where hewould like to spend a night in camp. 

He was subject to these little freaks, and hated to pass an idealcamping spot after a certain hour of the day; indeed, Eli could recallmany experiences along this order. 

Nor was the Virginia lad loth to explain the reason wherefore. 

It seemed that in cruising down some river in the States on a certainwinter, with a single companion, he was playing Scullion to the Cook ofhis more experienced comrade; and consequently what the other saidgenerally went. 

The Cook was of a most ambitious disposition, and desirous of makingjust as much time each day as though their lives depended on reaching acertain city in the Southland by a settled date--and yet they had thewhole winter before them, with time to kill. 

Many a time and oft, as Cuthbert reminiscently remarked, they had comeupon a delightful looking spot for a camp an hour or less before dark, and he found the inclination strong within him to go ashore, rest up, get the tent pitched, and be ready for a night's campaign before thecurtains were drawn shut. 

But that sort of thing did not fit in with what the boss of theexpedition considered proper; and consequently they must utilize thehour of daylight that remained in pushing forward. 

As a result, when darkness actually compelled their going ashore theyfrequently had to put up with mean accommodations and suffer for hours. 

The lessons that are brought home to us by bitter experience are theones that remain the longest; and Cuthbert had never forgotten thebitterness of spirit that haunted him on that cruise. 

He had learned his lesson thoroughly, and two things stood out above allothers as the right and proper course for an intelligent cruiser todo--never pass a fine site for a camp when the afternoon sun was morethan half way down its course; and upon starting out in the morningalways manage to get a good breakfast, as there could be no telling whenanother meal would come along. 

Eli was willing to go ashore, as usual, and Owen made no comment. 

So the boats were drawn up on the shingle, and the little partydisembarked. 

Cuthbert had made no mistake about the location, for it was a charmingspot, and the view out on the river absolutely unique; since with littleeffort one could see both up and down for a long distance. 

And others had in times gone by utilized this same ground as a stoppingplace; for there was to be seen a fireplace made of stone in just theproper spot, where the prevailing wind would fan the blaze as the mealcooked. 

In camping there are scores of little wrinkles which come perfectlynatural to the experienced hand, but are totally unknown to the novice;the only way to learn is to ask questions just as boldly as thoughclaiming Missouri for one's native State. 

Cuthbert had one particularly favorite dish, which every now and then heinsisted upon foisting upon his comrades; and from the way Eli's eyesglistened whenever he saw the Virginia canoeist starting to makepreparations looking toward this compound it might be surmised that theinfliction was not unbearable and could be endured about every day inthe week. 

He called it the Homeric kabab, and claimed that it had been handed downfrom the days of the old Grecian writer and philosopher; which, if true, proved that Homer knew a delicious thing when he tasted it. 

It surely was a thing to conjure with. 

Having made ready a glowing bed of coals, he set up two notched sticksat either end, and across this hung a strong withe of willow or someother wood, strung with inch pieces of meat, whether lamb, beef, venisonor rabbit it mattered not, since the state of the larder must decidethat matter; but it was of the utmost importance that alternating witheach bit of meat there should come a strip of eggplant or onion, orboth, if so fortunate as to have them. 

This withe was to be kept turning, spit-fashion, until its weight ofprovender was deliciously browned and sending forth an aroma that wouldmake the mouth of a wood nymph water. After that all that was needed wasto give thanks and partake. 

When Owen has his first taste of this favorite canoeist's dish his eyestold of the keenest enjoyment. 

Plain fare had been his portion most of his life, and it was a questionof quantity more than quality with his folks; appetite made up for alack of delicacies, and doubtless with that as a background even commoncorn pone may assume the properties of a Delmonico planked steak. 

Eli had seemed to be as hungry as usual when they landed; but havingfinished his task of erecting the tent he had picked up Cuthbert'ssplendid repeating Marlin and said something about taking a littlestroll, with a hope that perchance he might sight game worthy of a shot. 

Cuthbert had made no remark, for he knew that it was a weakness on thepart of his comrade to get off now and then with that gun, just for thesake of handling it, and feeling for a short period that he owned thewhole world. 

It afforded the Virginia lad great pleasure to know that he had it inhis power to bring joy to honest Eli's heart; and while he valued thegun, even its loss would not have caused a single cloud to cross hisbrow. 

He was gifted with a splendid nature, and never so happy as whenconferring pleasure upon some one else. 

By the time supper was all ready Cuthbert remembered that the boy fromMichigan had not yet turned up. 

"Do you remember having heard a shot some time back?" he asked Owen. 

"Yes, but it was pretty far away, further than Eli could have gone, Ithink; though now that you speak of it the report did come from up thewind, and that was the direction he took on starting out. Are youanxious about him?" replied the other, turning around from the job thathad been occupying his attention, and which was connected with placinghemlock browse under the blanket he meant to use when the time to liedown arrived, as well as alongside the sleeping bags of his twocompanions. 

"Why, no, I don't think there's any reason for that. Eli had beenaccustomed to roaming the woods all his life, for he was brought up inthe lumber camps; and it would be funny if he went and lost himself uphere, where the forest is so open. I was just thinking how fond he is ofmy pet dish, and what a disappointment it would be to him if you and Ideveloped such ferocious appetites as to lick the platter clean beforehe showed up. But I reckon there's plenty all around, and we'll try andkeep his share warm. Pull up here on this log, Owen, and try thatplatter. The coffee is ready too, ditto the hard-tack. "

And with keen appetites the two certainly did ample justice to the meal. 

By hard-tack Cuthbert really meant the regular ship biscuit used on allsailing vessels along the seashore and the lakes--there are two brands;one a bit more tasty than the other, and this is supposed to be for theofficers' mess; but in a pinch both fill the bill admirably, as myriadsof canoeists are willing to testify with upraised hand. 

When supper had been finished, and both lads were ready to cry outenough, it was dark. 

And still no Eli. 

Even then Cuthbert did not worry, for he had the utmost confidence inthe woodsman qualities of his stocky chum, and could not believe thatanything serious had happened to him. 

Perhaps he had wandered far afield, and chancing upon a deer a mile ormore from camp had secured his venison; under such conditions it wouldrequire some time to cut the animal up, and then "tote" what he wantedof the meat over the intervening territory. 

Nevertheless, he looked around at every sound as if hoping to see Elistalking into camp, with a proud look on his homely phiz, and a burdenof fresh meat upon his shoulder. 

Now it was a playful and venturesome 'coon that prowled around in thevicinity of the camp, hoping to pick up some titbits from the supper ofthe strange bipeds who periodically occupied this favorite site; thenagain it might be a mink come up from the river to investigate what allthis illumination meant; but as the minutes passed Eli remained onlyconspicuous by his absence. 

Owen had occupied himself in rubbing up several steel traps which theboys had brought along, thinking they might prove useful in some way;but which, having been neglected, were inclined to be very rusty. 

This was a familiar thing in the hands of the Canadian lad, for many atime in the days long gone by he 'tended a line of traps in the countrywhere fur grows longest and best, and mink, otter, muskrat, fisher, marten, skunk and even raccoon and opossum skins bring a good price. 

Cuthbert never lost an opportunity to acquire information, when he couldobtain it at first hand, and hence as they sat beside the fire, watchingthe rosy flames dance and play at tag, he put many more questions to thebackwoods boy concerning the secrets of the profession, and learnedvarious new things that up to this time he had never dreamed existed. 

So it is that in knocking about one may discover how limited avocabulary has been their portion; and observation with a traveler meansa widening of the horizon that broadens the mind. 

Owen was free to explain the numerous methods of capturing the wary wildanimals of his native land; and it gave him the keenest pleasure tosatisfy this desire for knowledge on the part of the new chum who hadbeen so good to him. 

He told of the astonishing care that was needed in order to circumventthe wise and sharp-scented mink; how the traps were so arranged, asCuthbert had seen, that the animal upon being caught would jump into thewater, where the weight of the trap would drown the captive; otherwisethe little fellow in desperation might gnaw his foot off and escape, tobe a cripple the rest of his days, like the one whose foot they hadhandled that morning; what bait was used to attract him to the vicinityof the trap, for an artificial scent has been found marvellouslyeffective in arousing the mating instinct of the animal and causing himto venture in places which otherwise he might avoid--all these and manyother things did Owen talk about as he handled the rusty traps; andCuthbert sat there entranced, drinking in the mysterious knowledge thattrappers have learned through succeeding generations, and handed down totheir successors. 

So the time passed, and yet there was no sign of Eli. 

Cuthbert finally sat up straight, and a look of growing concern could beseen upon his fine manly face as he said:

"There's no use talking, my boy, I'm really afraid something hashappened to Eli Perkins. He couldn't get lost if he tried, and the factthat he's not here makes me think he's tumbled into trouble with a bigT. Now, the question is what can we do about it?"

CHAPTER XII. 

ON THE TRACK OF ELI. 

Owen tossed the trap aside. 

Evidently he had been expecting some such remark from the other and wasnot at all surprised at being called on for assistance. 

"I think that if anything has happened to Eli we can lay it to thatungrateful dog, Stackpole, " he remarked, frowning a trifle, as if hismemories of the timber-cruiser were not of the most pleasant characterimaginable. 

"You don't like that fellow one little bit, I can see; and do you knowthe thought struck me when I saw him curl his lip on seeing you with usthat at some time in the past you two must have been at loggerheads, "observed Cuthbert. 

"Which is true, every word of it. If you had looked closer you mighthave noticed a little notch in the fellow's left ear. I was the cause ofthat, and it happened some years ago, when I was much smaller than I amnow, and less able to take care of myself. But I was born in the woods, and brought up with a rifle in my hands, so that I learned early in lifeto shoot straight. "

"Yes, " interrupted Cuthbert, "I saw that you were a dead shot when youtried my pet Marlin and brought down that hawk on the wing. I thought Ihad some little ability in that line myself, but when I saw you trimthat buccaneer of the air so easily as if you were not half trying, Igave up thinking myself in it. But please go on, Owen. "

"Where we lived was a lonely section. My father had offended some onehigh in authority marrying my mother, and he felt this influence more orless all his life; but I did not mean to speak about that just now, onlyto explain how it was we chanced to be so far removed from other people. 

"Once in a while some wandering timber-cruiser like Stackpole would dropin on us, and you can understand that as a general thing they weremighty welcome, for they brought us news of the outer world. 

"But if there was one man I detested, it was Stackpole, and he had oftenriled me as a kid, by his leering ways, and his sneaking method ofhanging around when my father was out looking after his traps. 

"I don't know what put it into my head, but somehow I seemed to finallybelieve the fellow had been actually sent up into the wilderness by someone high in authority at the post just to annoy my father and bring himto his knees, which nothing had been able to do in the past. 

"So I came to follow Stackpole when he did not dream I was around, andpretty soon I found that he was trying to steal my father's stock offurs during his absence, having arranged it with a halfbreed Cree topull his chestnuts out of the fire, and avoid responsibility. 

"I had been afraid that his evil eye had been turned upon my prettymother, so that, after all, it was something of a relief to find that heonly wanted to take the bundle of valuable furs that would mean a livingfor us during the next summer; but I've never believed anything elsethan that he was sent there by old Alexander Gregory to reduce us to astate where my parents would have to knuckle down, swallow their Scotchpride, and accept favors at his hands, something father had sworn hewould die before doing. 

"Well, I caught the rascal in the act of carrying the furs off, thoughhe always swore that I wronged him, and that he had in reality rescuedthem from a thief of a Cree who had snatched the lot; but I notched hisear with a shot, and put another in his right leg--you remember Elinoticed that he had a decided limp on that side. 

"They had to nurse the old villain all through his spell, and he neverforgave me for the double dose I gave him, though pretending it was allright, and that, thinking as I did, I had done the proper thing. Stackpole kept shy of our place after that, but I knew he would neverforgive me, and if the time ever arrived when he could get even he wouldtake the chance gladly. That was why I kept an eye on him all the timehe was with us, and warned you to look out, for the fellow is really athief, and has a bad reputation all over the region of theSaskatchewan. "

"And you really think he may be the cause of Eli staying away? After wetreated him so well, too. The skunk has no gratitude in his make-up, then, that's all I can say. Catch me giving him another cup of ourlovely Java; it's like casting pearls before swine, " declared the other, disgusted. 

"Of course, " continued Owen, "there is always a chance that Eli may havegotten twisted in his bearings. Any fellow might do that under stress ofexcitement, no matter what his knowledge of woodcraft may be. I've beenthere myself, and as all my life was spent in the timber I ought to befree from such a trouble if any one might. So, perhaps it would be wise, before we try to sally out and look for signs of our comrade, to shootoff a gun a few times, and see whether he makes any reply. What do yousay?

"Just what I was about to propose myself. Three shots is the usualsignal, but with Eli's shotgun we can only knock out two. Nevertheless, here she goes. "

So saying he blazed away with both barrels, allowing a margin of a fewseconds to occur between the shots. 

Then both lads bent their ears and listened carefully. 

The night breeze was sighing among the pines and hemlocks, but itcarried no answering sound to their waiting ears. 

When several minutes had gone by Cuthbert thrust a couple more shellsinto the barrels of the gun and once more let go. 

Again silence alone repaid their anxious attention. 

If the missing one heard those signal shots he was in no condition toreply, and that would mean, of course, that he must be in trouble. 

Cuthbert looked at his friend. 

"It doesn't seem to be of any use. After that I can't doubt but whatsomething uncomfortable has happened to Eli. He's a jolly fellow, and Ithink the world of him. If any harm came to pass I'd feel wretched, forit was my foolish idea that brought him up here, " he saiddisconsolately. 

"Oh, I wouldn't feel that way about it. A fellow like Eli must run acertain amount of risk, no matter where he is. If he wasn't here he'd belogging, and taking his life in his hand every hour, with trees fallingin the wrong direction, log jams occurring in the spring rise and thelumber jacks risking death in the effort to free the king-pin that holdsthe jam. Oh, no, Eli has no fault to find with the way you've treatedhim; indeed, he's had a snap, and knows it. But we must be doingsomething, if you feel too anxious to wait until morning. "

"It must now be ten o'clock, and that would mean many hours. Cananything be done in the night? How could we follow his trail without ahound? What wouldn't I give to have a good dog just now, such as my oldBunker down home in Virginia. You take charge, and order me around asyou see fit. I'm ready to do anything. "

Owen smiled, and thought what a fine thing it was to have a chum builtalong these lines; the conviction that Cuthbert would be just as anxiousif it had been he who was lost carried with it a thrill of pleasure hehad never known in all his life before. 

"Why, of course we can follow his trail slowly by the aid of thathunting jacklight of yours. Suppose you get it going, while I attend tosome other things. If we abandon the camp even for a while it might bewise to hide the boats, especially yours; for that lovely creation wouldtempt almost any wanderer to carry it off. And your stores would be veryacceptable to some of these chaps who live on roasted navy beans forcoffee and hard tack with their venison. "

So saying the young Canadian busied himself. 

In ten minutes he had thoroughly hidden all their possessions, and insuch a clever way it would never be suspected that such things could belying around loose in the bushes beyond. 

Meanwhile Cuthbert had fastened the jack to his hat and lighted thesame. 

On some occasions in the past he had shot deer by means of this samelittle lantern, though its use is now frowned down on in many states, since what appears to be a mean advantage is taken of the innocent deerwhen they come down to drink at the lake or stream, and stare at thestrange glow upon the water, allowing the sportsman to push close enoughto make dead sure of his quarry. 

Now it would not have been carried needlessly all this way into thewilderness if it was destined to prove valuable in following the trailof the missing Eli. 

Although Cuthbert had not voiced his worst fear, he was thinking thatpossibly poor Eli might be lying somewhere in the vast woods badlyinjured; for there were various ways in which such a thing could comeabout. 

He knew nothing could have happened on account of the rifle, for hisfaith in that marvel of the gunmaker's craft was unbounded; but Eli wasinclined to be a bit clumsy, and might have stumbled into some hole, striking his head and rendering himself unconscious; or there was achance that he had wounded a stag which had thereupon charged vigorouslyupon him, as wounded bucks are apt to do; so that Eli, not beingaccustomed to working the mechanism of the repeating rifle, might havebeen caught napping and tossed down. 

Well, they were now off, and would know something about the matter erelong, for the tracks of the young hunter were plainly marked, as seen inthe light of the jack. 

Owen must have had considerable experience in this thing of following atrail, for he picked it up in a wonderful fashion; that is, it seemed soin the eyes of his companion, who was quite willing to keep at his sideand bring the illuminating qualities of the little lantern to bear. 

Finally, thinking that it would be best that Owen had the jack upon hishat, he insisted on turning it over to him, contenting himself from thatmoment with falling in behind, carrying the shot gun in the hollow ofhis left arm, and with finger upon a trigger. 

They walked for an hour in this way, and never once did Owen seem to bein doubt. 

Such clever ability to follow tracks in the night time was an educationto Cuthbert, always ready to learn new things; and he watched the mannerin which it was done, wondering if he could ever in the course of yearspossess the sagacity that seemed to come so naturally to his friend. 

In and out among the great trees they wound their way, just as Eli musthave done when wandering along, watching for a sight of game ahead. 

Now they came to where he had evidently struck some sign, for he bentdown as he advanced, Owen showing the other just how he knew this fromthe marks; since three times had Eli dropped to his knee, only to riseagain and go on, eager to get still closer to the quarry. 

Finally Owen paused and pointed. 

"Here he fired--only one shot, " he declared, and picked up the brassjacket of a long cartridge that had been ejected from the repeater whenEli worked the combination. 

Cuthbert looked anxiously about. 

"I don't see him lying anywhere around, that's one thing that pleasesme, " he said, in a relieved tone. 

"No, he rushed forward--see, here are his tracks, and yonder the remainsof the deer he shot. But Eli is not here. Something happened to him. Give me five minutes and I'll tell you what it was, " declared the woodsboy, soberly. 

CHAPTER XIII

BIRDS OF A FEATHER. 

When Eli Perkins left the camp on that memorable afternoon withCuthbert's fine rifle on his shoulder, he did have a card up his sleeve, so to speak. 

Not that Eli was not intent on securing game for the pot, and meant tokeep an eye out for anything in the shape of a deer that he could bag;for he had long desired to shoot that dandy gun, the envy of his soul, and as yet the opportunity to use it on a gallant stag had not beenforthcoming, though he had often carried it forth when the time seemedpropitious. 

But Eli had been looking around ever since they landed, and it was hissettled conviction that the country in that section had all the color ofa copper region. 

Copper was Eli's little god. 

He eternally dreamed of some day finding a ledge of such incrediblerichness as would make all previous discoveries sink into utterinsignificance; and from his delightful share of the profits from themine he meant to satisfy that yearning for seeing foreign lands; forlong had he looked forward to the time to come when he could visitEgypt, Turkey, Russia, Germany and all those countries he had read somuch about. 

His only prospect of ever getting there, in his mind, lay in thisdiscovery of copper, and copper haunted him day and night. 

Cuthbert knew all about his yearning, and in his own mind had long sincearranged it so that Eli would share his next trip abroad; but the otherknew not what luck was awaiting him and so he kept thinking of thishappy find, and his eyes were constantly on the watch for "signs. "

And now more than ever before he was convinced that he must be in acountry where there was undiscovered copper veins. 

That no one has as yet stumbled upon them did not strike the lad asstrange, for he knew that those who stalked through this wildernesswere, for the most part, ignorant trappers or Indians, who would notknow the value of a find if they fell over the richest outcropping everfound. 

Eli had studied up the subject in his leisure hours for some years past, and was fully posted on all that pertained to its various branches. 

So while he was walking ahead and looking with one eye for big game hisother optic was on the alert for any signs of an outcropping of therich metal that had been given the place of honor in his heart. 

This accounted in some measure for his eccentric advance; for many timeshe turned aside to bend low over some suspicious spot where his keen eyehad detected symptoms of a deposit. 

Although disappointment came again and again Eli never despaired, for hewas certain he would sooner or later come upon that which he meant tohave, and the delay, while aggravating, could not crush his spirits. 

Twice later on he found reason to believe he was getting nearer theobject of his ambition, for the signs were certainly growing stronger;and thus he was being lured further and further away from the camp. 

Then came the moment when he sighted the deer through the bushes, andall his hunter instinct was aroused by the sight. 

He began to creep forward, his finger upon the trigger of the gun, and asense of delicious uncertainty thrilling his nerves. 

Just as the observant Owen later on declared, he did get down on oneknee several times, intending to shoot; but finding that the deer hadnot shown any indication of alarm, he had concluded to advance a bitfurther, in order to make doubly certain. 

Eli knew that he was sure of that buck, for he had perfect faith in hisown abilities as a marksman, when within such short range; and as forthe quality of Cuthbert's pet rifle, that went unquestioned. 

Finally he took a quick aim and fired. 

It had been the report of his gun that floated away back to the camp, and was heard by his two comrades about half an hour before dark. 

Eli deliberately pumped another cartridge into the chamber with onespeedy movement of his hand, as he had done many times in practice, andthen ran forward to where he had last seen the deer. 

He knew full well that it had gone down in a heap, for he had seen asmuch while he was in that instant placing the rifle in condition forfurther work; and hence he was not in the least surprised to find thenoble animal kicking its last when he arrived upon the spot. 

Eli was not an enthusiastic hunter; indeed, as a usual thing, he hadbeen pretty well satisfied to let Cuthbert do most of the shooting andfishing of the trip; but when it came to disposing of the cooked productwhile they sat around the camp fire, he was right in the game, for Eli'sone weakness was his appetite, and he never seemed to have enough. 

He placed the rifle against a neighboring tree, and, drawing hishunting knife, proceeded first of all to bleed the deer, after which hestarted to work cutting it up, for it was too heavy by long odds tothink of trying to carry the whole carcass to camp, now more than a miledistant. 

So busily engaged was he in this work that he paid not attention to whatwas taking place around him, and consequently did not see the shadowyfigure that came flitting from tree to tree like a wraith of the greatpinelands, finally reaching the oak against which Eli had leaned hisgun. 

Then a gnarled hand was stretched out and eagerly seized upon thebeautiful little Marlin, which was quickly withdrawn from view. 

Just then Eli was startled to hear a gruff "Ahem" from a point in frontof him, and glancing up hurriedly from his work he discovered a manstanding leaning on a long-barreled rifle and surveying him with a sneeron his face. 

It was the same fellow who had bunked with them and drank their elegantJava with such gusto--Stackpole, the timber-cruiser. 

Eli had not liked his looks when he was in camp, and he certainly saw noreason to change his mind concerning the fellow now, for Stackpole didhave a piratical appearance when he scowled or looked scornful. 

Instinct compelled Eli to reach out his hand for his gun, even while notremoving his eyes from the interloper with the evil cast of features. 

When his groping hand failed to connect with the rifle he was compelledto turn his head quickly and saw, to his dismay, that the gun no longeroccupied the spot where he had placed it. 

At the same moment a second man stepped into view, having his own riflehung over his shoulder with a strap, while the repeater belonging toCuthbert was resting in his grimy hands. 

Eli recognized this worthy immediately, nor was he very much surprisedto see him there, since Owen had declared it to be his belief that theymight run across him sooner or later. 

He remembered how they had met him some weeks earlier, and also how hehad made up that chart for Cuthbert, for a consideration, which sincethat time had proven so very unreliable, and which the Canadian ladpronounced utterly worthless. 

It was Dubois, the greasy woods-ranger, fit comrade for the ungainly andgrinning Stackpole. 

He stood there looking at the boy and nodding his head. 

"Well, well, if it ain't Eli Perkins alive and in ther flesh! Who'd evera thort tew see yer up hyer? I allowed thet p'raps yer boys mighter comepart way, but it does beat all how some fools air taken keer ov. Thankyer kindly fur this yer purty little gun, Eli. Reckon I kin soon gitther hang o' the way ye work thet pump bizness. Anyhow, I'm willin' terlarn. Hold on, now, jest keep yer distance, er somethin' not down onther bill'll happen ter ye, boy!" was the way Dubois addressed him. 

Of course, Eli felt angry, but he saw that they had him trapped neatlyenough, and he was not the fool the other would try to make out. 

At least he had had considerable experience with just such fellows asthese and knew how far one could go in conducting negotiations withtheir breed. 

Eli had a streak of caution and also a bit of cunning in his make-up;doubtless he had found need of both in his dealings with the huskies tobe met with in the Michigan lumber camps, where brute strength countsfor more than education. 

It evidently behooved him to play "lame duck, " just as the mothermallard does in order to deceive the wandering egg hunter, and lead himaway from her nest. 

So Eli simply chose to look foolish, and stood there grinning and sayingnot a word. 

He was a good hand at playing the game of "wait, " and perhaps in timehis chance would come to knock up their hand, and call the deal. 

"I see yer hev cut up ther deer all hunky-dory, Eli. Now, sence we oldfellers is a bit troubled with rheumertism s'pose ye shoulder ther bago'game an' come erlong wid us. My ole friend Dubois hes got er shack notwerry far off, an' we kin hold our hungry feelin's in till we git thar. Up she goes, boy, an' don't yer dare ter scowl at me like thet again, less ye wanter feel ther toe o' my moccasin. Wy, I've sliced a feller'sears orf fur less'n thet. I'm a holy terror wen I'm riled up, ain't I, Dubois?" said Stackpole. 

And this was the man whom they had entertained at their camp and giventhe best meal of his whole life!

Eli made a note of the fact for future reference. 

There would perhaps come a day of reckoning, and the account, howeverlong, could be adjusted. 

He took up the pack of meat and followed Stackpole, while Dubois walkedalong a little distance behind. 

Perhaps it was accidental, this meeting with the two woodsmen, but Elidoubted it, preferring to believe that they had been watching him eversince he left the camp, with the idea of effecting his capture shouldthe opportunity arise. 

With such men this was not a difficult thing to do. 

What puzzled him, however, was the trouble they were taking on hisaccount. 

If it was simply that coveted gun they wanted, why not turn him adriftafter securing possession of the firearm, rather than make a prisoner ofhim; surely they could not be doing this for the mere sake of compellinghim to "tote" the venison to their camp, for that would be slipping upon a point, since he must know where they held out and could carry theinformation to Cuthbert when released. 

Now had it been the young Virginian who was captured, he could readilyunderstand their reason, for Cuthbert had money in abundance, and wouldpay a round sum to be set at liberty; but who under the sun caredwhether he, Eli Perkins, lumber-jack from the Michigan pine woods, werefree or a prisoner, living or dead?

And poor Eli was wrestling with these puzzling questions as he trudgedwearily after Stackpole; nor did he seem to get any nearer a solution, though approaching the matter from all sides. 

Darkness overtook them while they were still tramping through the woods, having covered some miles since leaving the spot where the deer wasshot. 

And then by degrees Eli began to guess what they had in view in holdinghim. 

It would be only natural for the two worthies to try and hide theirtrail when thus passing through the woods and bound for the place whereaccording to Stackpole the other had some sort of a dugout or shack. 

To the surprise of Eli not only did they fail to take any precautions inthis respect but on the contrary actually seemed to leave as plain atrail as possible. 

It took Eli some time to understand the meaning of this, and then itbroke upon him like a thunderclap--these fellows were laying a trap, andexpected Cuthbert to walk into the same just as the fly enters the webof the spider. 

Of course in due time Cuthbert and Owen would feel it necessary to lookhim up, and as the latter was a good trailer they would follow thecourse now being taken by himself and his captors, follow it until thedoor of the trap was sprung shut, making them also prisoners. 

Eli grunted his disgust when he saw all this spread out before him. 

Eli was so utterly helpless to prevent it. 

And while he walked he was busying his mind in the endeavor to inventsome clever scheme whereby he might get the better of the twin rascalsand turn the tables upon them. 

But Eli did not possess a very brilliant mind and suggestions cameslowly to him; all his life he had been in the habit of allowing someone else do his thinking for him, and when thrown upon his own resourceshe found it difficult to fully grasp the situation and conjure up anypossible remedy. 

At the same time he was stubborn by temperament and not given over todespair, no matter how black the circumstances seemed. 

Perhaps presently things might take a turn; all he wanted was to keephis eyes about him, and his wits sharpened, so that if the occasionarose he would be in shape to reap the benefit. 

Stackpole must have been joking when he said the shack was close by, orelse they had purposely made a circuit in their walk, for it was a fullhour before they arrived at their destination. 

Whoever had originally built the cabin in the wild section where therocks cropped up amid the stunted trees, it had evidently been abandonedmany years, until of late Dubois took possession of the same. 

A light through what seemed to be a window without glass was the firstindication they had that they were approaching the end of the trail; Elishowed some sign of interest when he saw this, for it meant that theremight be another member of the party, and his curiosity was excited. 

Could it be possible that there was a regular league of these lawlessrovers of the great timber belt, organized to prey upon their fellows, and eager to milk such prizes as Cuthbert Reynolds would prove to be, ifonce he fell into their clutches?

If so, this could hardly be their headquarters, for it was too near theHudson Bay post; and from what he had heard about the stern old factor, he would never allow such an organization to get a footing within histerritory--if he was a martinet and a stickler for fealty to thecompany, he was also an honest man, with a hatred for rascality thatmade him the terror of evil doers. 

Stackpole brushed open the door and strode within. 

"Follow yer leader, kid, " ordered the man in the rear, and accordinglyEli passed over the threshold. 

Once within, the boy was ordered to prepare supper, and knowing thefolly of resistance he obeyed. 

All the time he was on the watch for a chance to do something that wouldrender the guns of the timber cruisers useless. They were both old stylerifles of the breech-loading type, and given a chance Eli knew how tofix them so that it would require the assistance of a gunsmith to placethem in serviceable condition again. 

Once Dubois went out and called to Stackpole, evidently desirous ofconferring with his partner over something he did not wish the boy tooverhear. 

Eli saw his chance, and though his heart seemed to be in his mouth, hecarried out his hastily formed plan. 

Stackpole had taken the repeating rifle with him, as if not fullytrusting the prisoner. But Eli could wait. Besides, he was hungry, andthat was his venison, so he felt entitled to some of it. 

While they ate the two men occasionally joked the boy in their roughway. But Eli only grinned, knowing that his time had almost come. 

"Now git a hustle on and clar up the muss, younker!" said Stackpole, ashe lighted his pipe. 

Eli coolly snatched up the little Marlin repeater. He heard the angrycries of the men as they reached for their own guns. 

Then Eli laughed. 

"The joke is on you, Stackpole. Couldn't shoot them guns in a week, forI doctored 'em all right. Stand back now or take the consequences, you!"

They were cowed by the sudden and complete change. Neither of them daredmove a hand even when Eli opened the door of the cabin, having slungsome of the venison across his shoulder. 

"Next time, gents, don't leave a timber boy alone in a cabin with yourguns, " he remarked, and waving his hand mockingly he closed the door. 

Five minutes later one of the men ventured to open the door, when a gunsounded, and the bullet struck so close to him he slammed the barriershut again. 

Then Eli hurried off, having taken his bearings. Half an hour later hediscovered the glow of the little headlight torch, and to the delightof his chums hailed them. 

Although Cuthbert and Owen were indignant at the action of the timbercruisers, they thought best to let the incident pass. No doubt the menwould leave the country now, since they must fear lest their unlawfulact get to the ears of the old factor and cause them trouble. 

So our three boys returned to the camp and spent the remainder of thenight in peace. 

CHAPTER XIV. 

WITHOUT AUTHORITY. 

Several times during the late afternoon of this day they heard gunshotsahead, and from this judged that they were drawing very near the post;which, like all such important places belonging to the great furcompany, must present quite an animated appearance with trappers andhunters, whites, Indians and halfbreeds, coming and going. 

Few went downstream, since the points of interest and profit werefurther up in the wilderness; which accounted for the fact of theirhaving seen only a couple of boats during the whole afternoon, one ofthese being manned by some _voyageurs_ belonging to the post, for theywore picturesque uniforms, consisting of leather coats lined withflannel, belts of scarlet worsted, breeches of smoked buckskin, andmoose moccasins, and carried shawls of Scotch plaid, as well as fur capswith ear-flaps for the cold weather that was liable to visit theNorthwest country at any day now--at the bow of the large boat floatedthe well-known blue and white flag of the Hudson Bay Company, showingthat this craft had undoubtedly carried a load of supplies to the post, and was now taking back to civilization packages of belated furs thathad been brought in by trappers from the Arctic regions. 

Cuthbert knew considerable about this vast concern which has had almosta monopoly of the fur-gathering business in America for twocenturies--really it dates back to 1670, when a license to trade in fursin the Hudson Bay region was granted to an English company. 

Knowing that he would be likely to come in contact with the agents ofthis corporation during his travels in the Saskatchewan country, Cuthbert had taken pains to learn all he could about what history had tosay of their doings; and he found that in the far past they had beenmerciless and unscrupulous in their dealings with their employers;though, of course, much of this high-handed style of conducting businessis not tolerated nowadays. 

The shadows were beginning to gather as the canoes rounded a bend in thestream, and the post stood out before them in the clearing, with thelast glow in the western sky as a background. 

The Union Jack had been hauled down with the setting of the sun, for atthese posts along the distant border something of military disciplinehas to be maintained, lest those in charge find their rough wards andemployes breaking loose from their authority; for they have to dealwith reckless spirits at times, and, of course, liquor frequently bringsabout trouble, just as in logging camps and all similar places. 

Their coming had undoubtedly been signaled long before they arrivedwithin hailing distance of the fort, for there was quite a crowd down atthe landing to see them come in, a mixture of whites, natives andhalfbreeds, all of them no doubt connected in some manner with the greatfur company. 

Some of these gave a noisy greeting to a boat load of Indians landingabout the same time as our friends, after the custom of their kind, boisterous, but good-natured; but Cuthbert noticed that not one had aword to say to his little party; which pleased him very much, since hehad worried over what they should do if the crowd proved unruly. 

He understood from what Owen had let fall that the old factor ruled hiscamp with a rod of iron, and that there was not a man who dared goagainst his expressed wish--doubtless he had given his followers tounderstand that they were to keep aloof, and let him do the honors ofthe occasion. 

So our young friends shoved their boats upon the shelving beach, sprangout, and pulled the canoes up far enough to keep them safe from thecurrent of the river; Owen had already told them that a code of honorexisted at the post, and whatever they left in the boat would beperfectly safe, for should so much as a trap be stolen, the vigilantfactor would visit the thief with punishment of a drastic nature--hisScotch blood would not stand for such a breach of hospitality. 

They knew that it was their duty to seek an audience with the commanderof the post immediately, explain their mission to these wilds, and, ifit could be done in a diplomatic manner, ingratiate themselves in hisfavor by making him some sort of a present--Owen had hinted that thefactor's one weakness was a love for tea, which he used at every mealwith quite as much pleasure as the veriest old maid gossip at a sewingcircle; and as luck would have it this happened to coincide with aleaning of his own, for he had made sure to fetch considerable of thevery finest that money could purchase in New York--Ceylon, Young Hysonand Orange Pekoe. 

Hence, when he told Eli that it was up to them to make a bee-line forthe headquarters of the factor, and announce their arrival, his firstact was to gather up a package he had prepared, consisting of a poundeach of the several kinds of tea carried by the expedition. 

Thus armed and equipped, he sallied forth, under the belief that he wasable to propitiate the powers that be, without a single carnal weapon, and loaded only with a gentle persuader. 

Owen had pointed out the position of the lodge where the factor had hisoffice as well as his habitation; and indeed, even had they not a friendat court, it would have been easy to determine the location of this, since it turned out to be the largest building within the stockade, andin front of which arose the tall pole that had evidently held the UnionJack up to sunset. 

No one followed them, but various were the curious glances cast in thatdirection by the many personages who had a connection with the busypost. 

At the door stood a man, who appeared to be a guard, for he carried arifle, and stirred at their approach, as though it might be his businessto make inquiries of those who asked for an audience with the "littleczar" within. 

"Is the factor, Mr. Gregory, in?" asked Cuthbert, pleasantly. 

"He is--walk right inside, " came the reply, and they obeyed. 

The office of the trading post was a sight to Cuthbert, who had oftenread of such a place, but never as yet, set eyes on one; a thousandarticles seemed to be crowded into the apartment, so that there waslittle spare room on either side of the passage leading straight up tothe great desk, where the factor held his court, flanked by accountbooks that doubtless would have been rich reading to anyone interestedin figures connected with the prices paid the Indians for furs. 

Through a door Cuthbert could see an adjoining room that was evidentlyused for a general audience chamber in the wintry season, perhaps abunkroom also, for it had an enormous stove that was well calculated towarm things when started. 

Only a cursory glance did he bestow upon these inanimate things, for hisattention was immediately wrapped up in the lone figure sitting back ofthe big desk, the factor of the whole region, Alexander Gregory, themysterious man whose past seemed to be connected in some way with thatof their new Canadian chum, Owen Dugdale. 

Cuthbert rather prided himself on his ability to read faces, and it wasin this spirit that he approached the Scotch resident boss. 

He saw a bearded face, with the sandy hue thickly sprinkled withgray--a face marked with strong individuality, and passions such as werecommon in the days of the Bruce and the Wallace of whom we read; indeed, just such a sturdy character as he had expected to discover in thisstrange man of the Northwest, judging from all the stories he had heard. 

And yet he quickly discerned a bit of a twinkle in the corners of thosecold gray eyes that told Cuthbert the other was not wholly a man ofiron--there was another vein to his character not often seen by hisfellows, but which could be played upon by touching the right chord, ifone but knew what that was. 

In that one moment of time Cuthbert knew that here was a man worthy ofhis best efforts in the line of study, and that perhaps before hequitted this faraway post on the frontier he would be able to see thestrong elements constituting Alexander Gregory's make-up unmasked. 

Cuthbert was something of a diplomat, and he knew just how best toaddress a man of authority whom he desired to placate; accordingly hegave his name as well as that of his companion, told of the folly thathad brought him to the wilderness, and that he desired to see a genuinetrading post of the great company, now that he found himself in theneighborhood, and that he was pleased to meet the factor, of whom hehad heard so many things in connection with the building up of thecompany's trade. 

Alexander Gregory listened, and it might be noticed that his face seemedto relax a trifle of its grim aspect; when the precious packets of teawere placed before him on the desk he could not refrain from smiling, and thrusting forth his hand, with words of warm welcome that quitetickled the young diplomat, for he knew that he had won a point in thegame. 

CHAPTER XV. 

SCENTS A MYSTERY. 

Alexander Gregory was a Scotchman, but he had spent most of his life inthe Canadian bush, and while there was a distinct "burr" in his mannerof speech, he very seldom used any of that broad dialect socharacteristic of his race; and then generally when much excited. 

He seemed particularly amused at the harum-scarum idea that had temptedour young explorer to these distant fields, for few men knew more aboutthe fearful difficulties awaiting the venturesome nomad in those lonelywastes beyond than did the veteran factor, since many a time and oft hehad roamed toward the arctic circle in search of new opportunities, andhad the humor seized him he could have told thrilling stories of what hehad seen and endured there. 

Seldom did he have the chance to interview so fresh and interesting acharacter as Cuthbert, for his work brought him into daily contact withonly rough, strenuous men, and in time this had undoubtedly hardened hisown nature more or less. 

He asked many questions and examined the lad's charts with interest. 

Just as Owen had done he condemned the map made by the halfbreed, Dubois, and declared that the fellow had undoubtedly purposely deceivedhim, with some object in view that could only be guessed. 

"That's just what Owen said, " exclaimed Cuthbert, without stopping tothink, and no sooner had the impulsive words passed his lips than heremembered that this was supposed to be a tabooed name in the hearing ofthe old factor, though just why he had no means of understanding. 

Involuntarily he looked up hastily as if to see what effect the mentionof Owen's name had on his host, but he only discovered a slight start, followed by a flitting frown, and then a grim smile. 

"Oh, he did, eh?" he remarked, quietly; "well, it would seem that thefellow has some sense about him, which I had begun to doubt, after herefused to meet me half way in burying the bitterness of the past. Butspeaking of this Dubois, he is a rascal beyond any doubt, and he appearsto have entered into some sort of partnership with Stackpole, a fellowof his own stripe, though hardly as bold in his way of doing things. These scoundrels have been playing fast and loose for a long time inthis region, but the worst they've been guilty of up to the present hasbeen the robbery of traps. Still, they have the spirit in them toattempt almost any unlawful game, once the opportunity offers, and Isuppose they thought it had appeared in you. I've about made up my mindthat the time has come to drive them out of the region, or hand themover to the mounted police, who will see to it that they are put injail. In this region we often have to take the law in our own hands, youunderstand, lad. Aye, I've seen some desperate things done in my day, and more often than I like they come up before my mind in the stillwatches of the night. Mine has been a rough life of it, takenaltogether, and not an enviable one. It is anything but a paradise uphere when the long winter settles down. But it is the only life I know, and has its charms to a man of my nature, though there be times when Ihave longings for civilization and all that it carries with it. "

The factor sighed as he spoke in this meditative way, and Cuthbert couldread between the lines, knowing what a wasted life it must seem to lookback upon, with the monotony broken only by scenes of violence, whenIndians went upon the warpath or halfbreeds became rebellious, asduring the great uprising along the Saskatchewan, when the ugly front ofwar made this region its battle ground. 

Eli was awed by the frown of the factor, and hardly spoke a word unlessaddressed in person; but he, too, felt considerable curiosity concerningthe relation of Owen to this grim personage, and spent much time inpropounding questions to himself with the object of finding out thetruth. 

On the whole Cuthbert was impressed rather favorably. 

He believed that Mr. Gregory, while appearing to be a forbiddingcharacter, was less of an ogre than surface marks would indicate;indeed, Cuthbert rather took a fancy to the old chap, and could, in ameasure, realize how he must have yearned for the pleasures of thatouter life from which his fate barred him. 

He made up his mind to question Owen at the first opportunity and learnwhat it was that stood between this czar of the wilderness and himself, for the mystery not only piqued his imagination, but he began to feelthat his new-found friend might, in some way, be managing his caseunwisely, and that the advice of a sympathetic comrade would prove ofvalue in the matter. 

You see, Cuthbert was a bit shrewd and already suspected something ofthe truth, for he could see through a millstone that had a hole in thecenter, and it had flashed upon him suddenly that there was more than anaccidental resemblance between the young Canadian lad and this sternmaster of the post. 

Now, it chanced that the American, while devoted to his chosenprofession of wandering through countries where the foot of a white manhad never before trod, had other traits of character, and like mostfellows, liked to dabble in a bit of a mystery, especially when hethought he could see a chance to improve the conditions surrounding afriend of his, and accordingly he puckered up his lips as though aboutto whistle, though no sound escaped him, and inwardly he was sayingsomething after the nature of this:

"By George, I believe I have it now--this old martinet, who rules thewhole country of the Saskatchewan with a rod of iron, and Owen arerelated somehow or other, and in the past there must have been troublebetween the two branches of the family--the Scotch are famous for suchthings, and can hate just as hard as they can love. Here's a prettykettle of fish. Owen's being knocked out of something that is his byrights, and I'm going to turn my talents to account so as to see thathe gets all that's coming to him. What relation could Aleck bear ayoungster like Owen but that of grandpa, eh? Why, it promises to beabout as good as a play. But I mustn't let on that I've guessed theriddle, for I don't understand why they're at daggers' points--what hasOwen done--why did he skip down the river without even his gun? H'm, there's lots to unravel even here, and perhaps I'd better get Chum Owento confide in me before I go any further. "

The factor was plainly eager to test the virtues of his new tea, for heput a kettle of cold water on the stove, thereby proving that he was anadept at the art of brewing the fragrant herb, since it requires freshwater, brought to a boil, and not stale stuff, to extract the delightfularoma and flavor. 

Cuthbert took the hint, though Mr. Gregory asked the lads to stay anddrink a cup with him, a common enough invitation across the big pond, though altogether unknown among Americans, whose invitations are apt toinclude something stronger. 

When they declined he bade them consider themselves asked to dine withhim later on that evening, but Cuthbert saw an opportunity to put in anentering wedge and reluctantly said that they would have to decline, since they had a comrade and would not feel like leaving him alone. 

The factor opened his mouth as if to say something and Cuthbert expectedthat he meant to include Owen in his invitation, but he simply noddedhis head, smiled whimsically, and bent over to look at the fire. 

So they passed out. 

Eli was completely muddled up with regard to the state of things, for hehad not the shrewdness of his companion, and as yet saw no reason tosuspect that there was a relationship between those who were soantagonistic. 

He meant to make friends with some of the halfbreeds who lounged aboutthe post, and by asking questions anticipated getting close to thetruth; perhaps his way, while less elevated than the plan of Cuthbert, might bring results in a more speedy manner. 

They found Owen where he had promised to await them, which was in acorner of the stockade, just outside the main enclosure--a rathersecluded place, which the other evidently knew quite well. 

He had the tent up, and was arranging things for comfort, just as thoughunaware how long their stay might be. 

Owen asked no questions, but he looked curiously into Cuthbert's face, as if he might discover something there; but the other had decided towait for a more fitting opportunity ere springing the question he had inmind. 

Some of the loungers gathered around. 

They were naturally curious concerning the outfit of the young explorer, for he carried things such as they had never in all their lives seen;some of these were apt to excite the ridicule of such old and roughcampaigners, accustomed to looking upon the earth as their bed, and thecanopy of heaven as their roof; but when in lieu of a cooking fireCuthbert set up his little "Juwel" kerosene stove, and in less than tenminutes had water boiling furiously, when he could make a big pot ofcoffee, the remarks in French patois were almost wholly favorable to thelittle brass contraption, as both the Americans knew; for these fellowsrecognized how handy such an affair must prove on a wet day when it wasalmost impossible to find dry wood to burn, and some warm drink wasneeded to tone up the system. 

But it was ludicrous when the coffee began to boil to see those chapselevate their noses and begin to sniff the fragrance as only wretchedbeings may who have long been strangers to the delicious decoction. 

Evidently they had been told by the three Indians how the boys hadtreated them to a cup of the beverage, and they made bold to hover aboutin the hope that history would repeat itself. 

Nor were they disappointed. 

Cuthbert was too shrewd a general to miss so good an opportunity to makemany friends out of these rough spirits; so, after the campers hadenjoyed their cup apiece and eaten some supper, Cuthbert deliberatelyfilled the aluminum receptacle, added condensed milk, with sugar, andthen gravely presented it to the fellow whom he judged was the boss ofthe outfit, a big, raw-boned French-Canadian _voyageur_, with a beardlike a pirate. 

His eyes almost danced with delight, and he allowed the aromaticcompound to gurgle down his capacious throat slowly, while he held backhis head to gaze upward toward the first stars that had appeared in theblue arch overhead. 

Twice he stopped and looked at his companions with a smirk, unable torefrain from tantalizing them; and it was ludicrous to see the way inwhich they scowled and shook their heads ominously--had it been any onebut this strapping leader he might have found himself in trouble verysoon. 

However, in good time they one and all had a chance to taste and enjoythe results of Cuthbert's brewing; and he realized that his act had beena masterstroke so far as making friends of the gathering wasconcerned--the insidious coffee bean had proven more mighty than an armyin changing the current of their thoughts. 

And yet Cuthbert, who saw everything, could not help but notice that notone of these men of the post said anything to Owen, though all of them, from time to time, cast curious glances his way, as though he might be apuzzle they could not solve. 

CHAPTER XVI. 

A LITTLE WITCH. 

After that the post loungers had the good sense to leave our youngfriends alone, though when they sauntered away most of them eitherthanked Cuthbert in a courteous French manner for his little treat, orelse waved a hand to him, with a broad grin that stood for the samething in the rough ways of their class. 

Still, Owen asked no questions concerning what they had seen and heardwhen at the office of the old factor; it looked as though he weredetermined to exhibit not a sign of curiosity, no matter how much hewould like to hear all. 

So Cuthbert took it upon himself to relate much that had been said, evento the remark made by Mr. Gregory with relation to Owenhimself--watching out of the corner of his eye, he saw the other turnrosy red and then grit his teeth firmly, as though repressing hisfeelings. 

"Evidently he will have to be drawn out, for I can see that nothingtempts him to open up of his own free will; and yet he said a while backthat he meant to confide his story to us. Now, this thing has gonequite far enough, and if we are to be Owen's best friends and chums it'sonly right that we know who and what he is, and also how he and the BigMogul have fallen out. So here goes while the coast is clear, and nostragglers around. "

So saying, Cuthbert turned to the Canuck and, smiling, said:

"Owen, my boy, you promised to tell us something about your troubleswhen an opportunity came. Now, I said then that I didn't want to intrudeon your private affairs, but you insisted that we had a right to know;and since we've taken you into the combine as a fellow chum, and you'regoing to wander with me over a good part of this old planet in time, why, if it's just the same to you, I wouldn't mind hearing all you'vegot to say now. I confess your coming to this place has excited mycuriosity, old chap, because I realize that there's been trouble of somesort between you and Aleck over yonder. Now, he strikes me as not so bada tyrant as I had somehow imagined, and perhaps the matter might bepatched up between you. Remember, we don't want to hear anything thatyou'd prefer to keep secret--just tell us as much or as little as youthink fit. You know we stand ready to give our full sympathy, and backyou up to the limit. Now, hit it up, my boy. "

Owen drew a big breath, as though he had to nerve himself to speak ofthese things to strangers; for he had hugged his troubles to his ownbreast these many years, and they had evidently become sensitivesubjects with him. 

But the ready sympathy which he saw upon the countenances of hiscomrades was a new sensation to the lonely lad, and he had no furtherhesitation about opening his heart to them. 

"Don't make any mistake in the start, boys, for the trouble that liesbetween Alexander Gregory and myself can never be patched up, though ifhe had his way it would be. But I can never forget that his iron willembittered the whole of my poor mother's life. I've seen her cry manythe time, and under my breath I cursed that hard-hearted old Scotchman, who, because his daughter married a man against whom he chanced to havea spite, refused to forgive. He's a cold-blooded monster, that's what heis, and I would tell him so to his face. "

"I suspected that he bore that relationship to you--grandfather--there'sconsiderable about your faces that gives the secret away, " remarkedCuthbert. 

"I may look like him in face, but thank Heaven I'm a true Dugdale in myfeelings. I know you'll forgive me if I make the story short, because itrouses up the old feelings inside, and sad memories always make me hatehim more and more. 

"After my mother and father died, which was less than a year ago, heheard of it somehow, and has tried to make up with me ever since, sending messages with letters, asking me to come and live with him; buthis repentance came too late, for she was not here to know that he wassorry; and I utterly refused to even hold any correspondence with theman who would have let his own child go hungry or freeze to deathbecause she would not come and ask his forgiveness, something my fatherwould never hear of. 

"Well, what do you think, finding that I wouldn't come to him of my ownfree will, this domineering ruler of the Saskatchewan sent a party ofhis halfbreeds up to the region where I was trapping and kidnapped meoutright--yes, I was carried a prisoner in their boat to this post, andactually confined in a cabin as if I had been guilty of a crime. He hadthe nerve to send me word that it had all been done without hisknowledge, his men thinking they were doing him a favor, and that hewould see me in the morning, when he hoped explanations might bringabout an understanding between us--if I persisted in my determination tohave nothing to do with him, I would then be at liberty to depart. 

"I never so much as sent him an answer, I was so furious at beingdragged to his post like a wretch who had robbed traps; but during thenight I found a way to escape from the cabin, and taking an old canoe, Ifled down the river. The rest you know already. That is my story in anutshell, boys. I could talk for hours, and even then fail to tell youall I've gone through since I was a little shaver, for I soon learnedthe sad story of my mother, and how she had suffered because her fatherrefused to forgive. 

"My father was only a timber-cruiser, a man with little education, butan honest man at that. He was never able to make much more than aliving, and we have many times gone hungry, while he was storing uptreasures year by year, to be lavished upon his one other daughter, whomarried to please him. But we'd rather died there in the bush than ask afavor of him, my dad was that proud, and hated Alexander Gregory so forhis injustice. 

"You understand now what I risked in coming back here; but when Ireasoned it all out in cold blood I saw that he could not keep meagainst my will, for he's never been appointed my guardian that I knowof; so I determined to come, and stick with you, no matter whathappened. "

"You mentioned another daughter--is she with him still?" asked Cuthbert, who had a reason for the question. 

"No, I understand that she was also taken away several years ago; herhusband turned out to be a bad man, and had to get out of the country, because Mr. Gregory had sworn to shoot him on sight for good reasons. So, you see, that stubborn will of his, that wanted to bend everythinghis way, has not brought him very much of happiness. Still, it's justwhat he deserves, and I'm not sorry one bit. "

"Did the other daughter have any children?" pursued Cuthbert. 

"I don't know; but what makes you ask?" said Owen, raising his eyesquickly, to look his comrade in the face. 

"Because, unless I am very much mistaken, I heard a girl's laugh in thatbig cabin where he has his home, a merry laugh that somehow made me feelas if I wanted to join in with a ha-ha of my own. If that is so she'syour cousin, Owen. "

That was indeed a master stroke on Cuthbert's part, and well played, too. 

Owen looked startled. 

"Cousin--a girl--related to me, " he muttered, as if unable to quitegrasp the immensity of the thing; then a flush crept over his swarthyface, as though the new thought was more or less pleasing to him; for, poor lad, he had of late believed himself to be utterly alone in the bigworld, saving this hard-hearted grandfather, whom he refused torecognize. 

This gave him new food for reflection; and the young philosopher who hadshot the shaft fancied that the intelligence might have more or lessinfluence in determining his future relations with the factor--the humanheart craves sympathy above all things, and this can seldom come so wellfrom strangers as from those of the same family--blood is ever thickerthan water. 

Owen went about the preparations for the night, arranging the cots forhis two comrades, and his own humble blanket bed; but evidently he waswrapped in deep thought, and Cuthbert believed he had set a current inmotion that was bound to have much influence over the other's future. 

If he could only arrange to have Owen meet the owner of that merrylaugh, he fancied the rest would be easy. 

With this idea in his mind he sauntered in the direction of the factor'sheadquarters, half-meaning to secure another interview with the other, at which, perhaps, matters might be threshed out, and light let in whereall was darkness now. 

He changed his mind, however, when he saw that Mr. Gregory was busy withsome of his employes, who had come down the river in a big batteau whilethe boys were eating their supper, and evidently had brought news ofconsiderable importance, since they immediately sought an interview withthe chief; and when Cuthbert glanced in through the open door theirheads were close together over some sort of a map which one of them wasexplaining. 

Nevertheless, Cuthbert could not refrain from keeping his eyes about, inthe hope that by a lucky chance he might discover the one who laughed;and just as he was about to turn back to the camp of his friends he didcatch a sound that immediately fastened his attention, only instead ofmerriment, it was rather a lugubrious little song, sung half under thebreath--a song that possibly had the power to bring before the mind ofthe singer the face of the dear mother who had taught her to sing it, asong that affected even Cuthbert as he stood with bowed head andharkened. 

Presently the sound ceased, and he heard a flutter near by, when lookingthat way he caught a glimpse of a little figure passing into the rear ofthe cabin; as the door was open he could see what appeared to be a girlof some six or seven, slight of figure, and with the golden hair and theface of an angel. 

Cuthbert laughed to himself as he looked, for he was thinking of hisfriend Owen, and what a change would come over him when he made theacquaintance of this little fairy of the wilderness. 

He now sauntered over to where some of the trappers and _voyageurs_ hada fire, at which they had evidently cooked their supper earlier in thenight and about which they were now reclining, smoking pipes, andexchanging stories connected with the wild life led by all. 

No one paid any particular attention to the lad, save to give him aplace at the fire and offer him a tobacco pouch, which, of course, hedeclined, saying to the amazement of these inveterate smokers that hehad never learned the art of indulging in the weed. 

He understood enough of the French _patois_ to follow what was said, andfelt more or less interest in the weird tales they spun concerning theastonishing wonders of the Great Lone Land, which he, in his audacity, had been tempted to venture into alone, bent on exploration--he realizednow that it would surely have proven his tomb had he been allowed toproceed thither, convoyed only by the faithful Eli, who was ready tofollow him to the uttermost parts of the earth without question. 

Presently, when he had broken the ice by becoming a little familiar withhis neighbor on the right, a rather pleasant-faced fellow in thepicturesque uniform of the Hudson Bay Company, he ventured to ask aboutthe sweet little singer, whose voice had charmed his ear; and, as hesuspected, it turned out that she was a child of the factor's youngerdaughter, her name, Jessie (which was Scotch enough to please Cuthbert'sromantic fancy) and that she had always been at the post, a gleam ofsunshine, for whom any of them would willingly have died. 

Cuthbert was more than pleased with his discoveries, for he believedthat it would, after all, not be so very difficult to bring about somesort of a reconciliation between the young Canadian and his ancestor, the old factor, whose heart had lost much of its flinty nature longsince under the ministrations of this little golden-haired witch, andwas really hungering to remedy his conduct of the past as far aspossible. 

If he did nothing more than joining these two, Cuthbert couldcongratulate himself that his mission to the great Saskatchewan regionhad not been in vain. 

He hunted Eli up at once, determined to form some sort of plan wherebysuch a desirable end might be attained. 

Fortunately, Eli was alone in their tent, and when the other questionedhim before speaking, not wishing Owen to hear them discussing hisaffairs, Cuthbert learned that the third member of the party had goneout quite a while before, saying that he would return by the time theywere thinking of retiring. 

Cuthbert fancied that it was the mention of the little cousin that hadaffected him so; perhaps even at that moment Owen was hovering about theheadquarters of the factor, in the hope of getting a glimpse of theowner of the sweet voice. 

So Eli was placed in possession of all the facts as learned by his chum, and as of old they discussed the situation, for while the boy from thelumber regions lacked the education and polish that were Cuthbert'sbirthright, he did possess a shrewd mind and had homely ideas of whatwas good and true--this had been the very thing that attracted theVirginian to him in the start, and the more he saw of Eli the strongergrew his affection, until it bade fair to become another David andJonathan relationship. 

On his part Eli was more excited than usual, because he had made adiscovery during his friend's absence, which was to the effect thatcertain specimens of ore which he had somehow managed to pick up andthrust into his pockets while in the woods were very rich with agreenish mineral which Eli knew well enough to be virgin copper, and hefelt convinced that he had at last struck the bonanza for which he hadso long been searching--a genuine copper lode. 

When they had partly arranged their intended plan of action and fixedmatters so that on the morrow they could open the game, the two youngconspirators began to get ready for turning in. 

There was certainly no need of keeping watch here, for they were in thestockade bounds of the fort and within a biscuit toss of the factor'sheadquarters; surely no prowler would dare molest them here, and if hedid there would always be the chances of his running up against a 30-30from the forceful little Marlin repeater that must discourage hissneaking propensities. 

Once they had heard a great disturbance around on the other side of themain building, with many loud excited voices chiming in, but Cuthbert, believing that the affair did not concern them and was probably only adispute among some of the unruly employes of the trading company, restrained the impulsive Eli, who was for bolting out and learning thecause of the fracas. 

Where could Owen be?

Surely the boy would not sneak away, after so boldly accompanying themto the Hudson Bay post--he had as much as promised to stick by them upto the time they expected to return to civilization, and if Cuthbert wasany judge of human nature Owen Dugdale was not the one to go back on hisword. 

And it was very unlikely that anything could have happened to him off inthe dense forest, where he was so much at home--the men connected withthe post were now aware that the factor frowned upon such a thing askidnapping one who showed the utmost reluctance to visit his relative, and consequently they would leave him severely alone from this time on, and as for the timber cruiser, he knew the bond of blood existingbetween the lad and the stern old factor, and with the inevitableconsequences staring him in the face if he raised his hand again towardOwen, he would not dare arouse the ire of Alexander Gregory foranything. 

CHAPTER XVII. 

SEEN THROUGH THE OPEN DOOR. 

Owen Dugdale had been more deeply affected by what his friend had saidabout the little witch of the fort than even Cuthbert suspected. 

Somehow the lonely lad had never conceived of such a possibility ashaving a cousin to love, and when he heard of it for the first time hewas staggered by the change this seemed to make in affairs. 

Unable to properly ponder over the matter within the tent where Eliwould naturally be wanting to ask ordinary questions that must disturbhis mental scrutiny, he determined to go by himself and spend an hour orso threshing matters out once and for all. 

This hatred for the old factor had become so much a part of his naturethat he was able to only see one side of the case, and for the firsttime in his life he found himself beginning to entertain a slightsuspicion that he had purposely blinded his eyes to facts that mightpresent a different aspect to things. 

Memories of his sainted mother arose to haunt him; perhaps the incidentof little Sallie and her conception of her "duty" by her brute of afather, just because she had promised the mother who was gone to watchover him, had awakened these thoughts afresh, for Owen, too, hadpromised to try and overcome his hard feelings for the old factor, though as yet without making any progress. 

Still, tonight he seemed to be in a more amiable mood than for a longtime. 

Before his mind arose the last scene, when he knelt beside his widowedmother, and heard her whispered prayer that he might grow up to be anoble man, free from the accursed Gregory spirit that had helped to makeher own life unhappy. 

Had he made an earnest effort that way?

Owen felt conscience-stricken when he remembered that he never oncethought of his angel mother without a feeling of bitter animosity towardthe unrelenting parent who had driven her forth when she married againsthis will. 

And now a new factor had been sprung upon him in the shape of thiscousin!

Who was she and what could she be like?

He knew there had been another daughter, just as he had told Cuthbert, who had married the man her father picked out, only to suffer as allill-used wives do; until matters went too far and Alexander Gregory haddriven him out of the region. 

This daughter then had enjoyed all that money could secure for herduring the few years she lived after her child came, so that the littleone must be looked upon as the heiress of all the old factor's wealth;and he was said to have accumulated much of this world's goods duringhis life on the Saskatchewan. 

But this interested Owen not a particle, for he was quite free from anydesire to share in the old man's money. 

Whoever this girl might be, she was welcome to all the factor possessed, for he would never touch a penny, he was bound. 

It made him writhe a little to think, however, that the child of onedaughter was rolling in wealth, so to speak, while he, the only issue ofthe other marriage, was like the foxes and had hardly more than a holewherein to lay his head. 

Still, she was a girl, while he as a hardy boy felt no need ofcomfort--given a gun and some provisions and he feared not the desolateplaces of the Great North Land; he had wrested many of Nature's secretsfrom her bosom and could hold his own in the blizzard's blast as well asthe animals. 

But he must get by himself to think all this over and fight the battleagain, this time for good and all--it might make a difference if therewere some one else besides the stern old factor, in whose veins ran thesame blood; yes, that was something he had never considered before. 

So muttering some sort of an excuse to Eli he had wandered forth intothe night. 

He, too, had heard of the arrival of the batteau from above, andcatching some casual words that were dropped knew there was troubleahead for the immediate future, since a company of rival fur gatherershad swooped down upon ground that came within the jurisdiction of theFort Harmony post, though often in dispute, and refused to leave whenthreatened by the agents of Gregory. 

That might mean bloody war, for it so happened once in a while; and intimes past scenes of violence had marked many a meeting of these rivalcompanies. 

Even this fact did not interest Owen to any extent just now. 

At another time he might have felt his pulses thrill with eagerness, forhaving spent his whole existence in this region, he was naturallyimpregnated with the spirit that dominated the lives of those whodepended upon the gathering of furs for their living, and Owen besideshad inherited some of the Gregory combativeness. 

He was thinking of that cousin and feeling an eagerness he could notovercome to set eyes on her for himself. 

What was she like?

If she looked at all a Gregory he felt sure he could never care for her, since his feeling of intense dislike toward Alexander the factor was toodeep-rooted to be easily cast out. 

What was to hinder his wandering around near the big house used as anoffice and storeroom as well as the residence of the factor?

If Cuthbert had done so without attracting attention surely he could, and perhaps he might also be favored with just a little glimpse of thegirl. 

Even while allowing himself to be lured into this sort of thing by somestrange feeling within, Owen was curling his lip sarcastically at theidea of his ever being reconciled to the grandfather who had ruined thelives of his parents, making them so much harder and bitter than wouldotherwise have been the case. 

But with all his animosity toward Dugdale, the timber cruiser who hadwon the heart of his favorite child, the factor had not been able tofully mar their lives, and Owen knew that true love had reigned in thathumble cabin far away beyond the jurisdiction of old Gregory up to thetime death took the father and husband away. 

Presently he found his footsteps had carried him near the large buildingand he avoided the office end, as he did not wish it to appear that hewas at all curious concerning the grave news brought in by the scoutswho had come with the batteau from the upper reaches of the river. 

It was in the hope of hearing the same voice which had attractedCuthbert that brought him close to the rear of the building, where thewing was used as a home by Mr. Gregory. 

Lights abounded in various parts of the house, which, being built forthe most part of huge logs, weatherbeaten from long years of service, but still substantial, gave evidence of being a comfortable abode; andit was not long ere Owen felt a thrill pass through his being as hecaught a sudden burst of childish song, which ceased almost as quicklyas it had begun, as though the singer just had to give utterance to herbuoyant feelings in such little snatches of music. 

Eagerly he waited, hoping that she would again lift up her sweet voice, for it had sounded like the trill of birds in the woodland to hisenraptured ear. 

Years had passed since this lad had heard a little child's voice insong; or, indeed, any music, for his mother's sad life had not beenconducive to merry feelings, and one has to be at least fairly happy tosing. 

And when the child again broke forth and caroled a little Frenchlullaby, as though singing to her dolly, Owen stood there, nervouslyopening and closing his hands, as though enthralled beyond measure. 

When the song had died away he could no longer resist the temptation tofeast his eyes upon the singer. 

This would not be difficult to do, for the door was open, and all thatseemed necessary was for him to move still closer and bend forward. 

He did not fancy being seen in such an act, no matter how honorable hisintention, for these rough dwellers in the wilds have a peculiar code oftheir own, and spying of any kind is severely frowned down upon. 

Nevertheless he could not let the opportunity pass unimproved; and soOwen began to move forward, trying to keep beyond the strongest path oflight that flowed from the open door. 

When he thrust his head forward and saw the interior of the room hestood there as if frozen into a pillar of ice. 

If the spectacle of that little witch with the golden locks had heldCuthbert spellbound, imagine how it affected this lad, who knew he waslooking on the only close relative he had in the wide world, saving thefactor--who did not count, anyway. He felt as though he could not tearhimself away, there was something so fascinating about the small maidand her cunning ways, as she rocked her dolly and went through all thenecessary operations required to put a real flesh and blood baby tosleep. 

And what made it all the more entrancing to Owen was the unmistakablefact that it seemed to him he must be looking upon the face of his owndearly loved mother when she was a child; for the sister's little onehad, as is often the case, resembled the one so much in her anxiousmind, rather than herself. 

Looking thus upon such a charming picture, was it strange that Owenfound himself thinking along certain lines that up to now he would havecast from him with scorn, as an evidence of weakening?

Cuthbert had made no mistake when he concluded that, sooner or later, through the means of this little peacemaker, must the vendetta existingbetween Owen and his grandfather be brought to a close. 

When she had laid her doll carefully down and stroked it gently, just asa real mother might do with her sleeping babe, the child tiptoed aboutthe room, casting many an anxious glance toward the crib, as thoughfearful lest she awaken the inanimate bundle reposing there--it was sonatural that Owen could not smile, even while he was feeling a suddenyearning to know this charming little relative at closer quarters. 

In that time he stood there all danger of his wanting to fly once morefrom the stockade vanished forever; and he even wondered whether hisgrandfather may not after all have had some such scheme in mind ininviting him to visit him, believing that the presence of this midget, and the fact that she was his own true cousin, would have a wonderfullysoothing effect upon the truculent spirit of the boy. 

Now she approached the door, as though either drawn by some subtlespirit, or a desire to glance out at the heavens to see what the weathermight be. 

Owen dared not move for fear lest such action must attract the veryattention he was seeking to avoid; so he stood there as though he mightbe a post, and awaited the outcome with mingled feelings of anxiety anddelight. 

It was not long in coming, the discovery. 

He felt, rather than saw, her gaze fall upon him, and she seemed tostand there in some vague sense of terror at first, as though fearingthat the eavesdropper might mean her harm--afterwards Owen understoodwhy she should have this feeling better than he did just then, but itpained him to think that his presence should bring fear to her gentlelittle heart, and so he smiled. 

Although he did not know it himself, when Owen smiled, his face took onan expression that must have given confidence to a skeptic, for as isthe case with all persons naturally grave, his countenance was lightedup with the sudden burst of radiance that sprang from his very soul. 

The child saw it and immediately her fear seemed to take flight, and sheeven smiled back at him. 

"Come in, boy, and see my new dolly, " she said, eagerly; and that was aninvitation Owen Dugdale could not have declined under any conditions. 

So he who had sworn never again to set foot under the roof of theresident factor walked into his house only too willingly. 

CHAPTER XVIII. 

OWEN FINDS HIMSELF A PRISONER. 

The little girl, with that wonderful intuition that leads children toknow who are in full sympathy with their hearts, seemed to need no otherguide than that one look into his smiling face, and she was ready totrust him fully. Owen held out his hand impulsively. 

"I am your cousin, Owen Dugdale. Perhaps you may have heard of me; and Iwant to say I'm awful glad to make your acquaintance, Jessie Ferguson. Ididn't know I even had a cousin until just a short time ago this night;and I came out on purpose to see what you were like. Look! I carry apicture of my mother in this little waterproof case fastened around myneck. That is what she looked like when she was a very little girl; andyou are her image. I'm glad I came back here now; something seemed towhisper to me that it was best, and I know it was her dear spiritspeaking to my heart. "

The child took the little locket and glanced at the face it contained, at the same time uttering a cry of delight. 

"Why, it is my picture. But you said it was your mother--that must havebeen my Aunt Jessie! And you are my cousin, then? I have heardgrandpapa speak of you. But you don't look bad, and he said----" andthere she suddenly stopped, while Owen's face flushed angrily with asudden wave of resentment. 

"What did he say--I want you to tell me?" he asked imperiously. 

"I wish I hadn't spoken--he said you were a willful, headstrongboy--there; but I think he didn't know you, " she answered, clinging tohis hand in a confiding way that gave Owen the joy of his life. 

With that he laughed, this time aloud. 

"I guess he knows the Gregory spirit all right. I am headstrong; yes, and willful, too, for I wouldn't be a Gregory otherwise. But don't letus talk any more about that. Show me your new dolly. I don't knowanything about dolls, and never had one in my hands in all my life, foryou see we didn't have a little girl in our home, and the neighbors weremiles off. But I'd like to know your dolly. I heard you singing her tosleep. Ain't you afraid all this talking might wake her up?" he went on. 

"Oh, no. She sleeps so soundly you see. I can do anything with her andshe never cries. There, take her for a little while, Cousin Owen. Howfunny it is to know a real and true cousin. I never met one before; butI wanted to. I get awful lonely sometimes, for you see it's only me andgrandpapa at the table; and he is so busy he can't play much with alittle girl like me. Won't you stay here and be my real cousin? I don'tthink I'd mind it much if there was only somebody like you to talk withme. I get so tired being alone; and dolly won't answer me; she lets medo all the talking. "

This ingenuous manner of speech, perhaps a trifle oldish in its way fora wee lassie of less than eight, acted like magic upon the heart of thedesolate boy, who had known no home ever since his mother passed over tothe Far Beyond; he then and there mentally vowed that he would settlethis business before he turned in that night; and it was already aforegone conclusion as to what his decision must be--he could not bearthe thought that he would never see this little fairy again. 

"I'll think of it, Jessie--you'll let me call you cousin, won't you?" hesaid. 

"Why, of course; we are cousins, ain't we? And you must be sure to sayyou'll stay, because I know grandpapa wants you; he told me so. He isgetting old, and we worries a lot about me, just as if anybody wouldwant to run away with a poor little child like me; but I heard him saythat if Owen was only here to be with me he'd feel so much morecontented. So you see you must stay, because grandpapa wants you to, andI want you ever so much, and dolly--don't hold dolly that way, boy. Allthe blood will run to her head, poor thing. I'll show you how you mustdo it, " and like a wise little mother she took the imperiled one in herarms, held her close to her heart and began crooning so sweetly thatOwen was enraptured more than ever. Here was a revelation, and it hadcome upon him as suddenly as a shooting star bursts upon the vision ofthe night watcher, and goes swiftly speeding down the heavens amid thespangled hosts of other worlds. 

Owen had not felt so happy in the whole course of his life, for he sawbefore him a wonderful change in his miserable existence, and a futurehome amid surroundings so pleasant that he could hardly believe it couldbe meant for him. 

Having quieted the imaginary disturbed dolly she tucked the object ofher anxious care into its crib, as if doubting the expediency ofallowing her in the clumsy grip of this newly found cousin until he hadbeen given a few lessons on the way to hold little girls' babies. 

"Now, " she said, having patted the clothes that covered the object ofher solicitude with a careful hand, "we can talk a little, if you willbe sure not to speak too loud. Grandpapa often wakes her when he comesin, his voice is so awful gruff; but then he never means to and isalways so sorry. He grabs us both up, but he kisses me more than he doesmy poor dolly. "

Owen thought grandpapa was a very sensible old man, after all, and thatgiven the opportunity he believed, indeed, he knew, that he would showthe same partiality. 

He was not quite ready to face the old factor as yet; before that cameabout he wanted to be by himself and look the matter calmly in the face, so as to decide once and for all, though deep down in his soul the boyknew that this self-scrutiny must be pretty much of a farce, since hewould never be content to go away now and see this cunning little fairycousin no more. 

Still, he did not want Alexander Gregory to come in suddenly and findhim there, so he considered that, having made the acquaintance ofJessie, he had better leave. 

If she chose she could tell the old man of his visit and that wouldbreak the matter gently, so that when it came time for Owen to face hisgrandfather the factor would be prepared to extend the olive branch, ifso inclined. 

"Now I must be going, Cousin Jessie; I'm glad to have made theacquaintance of your wonderful dolly, but more than that to know you, and I hope to see you again tomorrow. Kiss your dolly for me when shewakes, won't you?" he said, with another of those smiles that had quitewon the heart of the demure little maid. 

"Why, of course, if you give me one for her, " she remarked, without theslightest affectation, and as if it were the most natural thing for onecousin to thus salute another on parting. 

Well, he did, with the greatest pleasure he had ever known without anyexception, and if the kiss were a bit bunglingly given that could beexcused on the plea of lack of experience. 

And with the pressure of those rosebud lips against his went the lastlingering gleam of Owen's former resolution to hold resentment againstthe factor, because of his harsh treatment of the mother whose memory hetreasured. 

So he went out again into the night air, but it was no longer the sameOwen as of yore who looked up to the star-bedecked sky--many a time andoft he had found sighs welling from his heart as he contemplated theheavens and speculated upon what little of hope the future held forhim; but now he was thrilled with joy and peace such as he had neverknown. 

He sauntered around for a time trying to collect his thoughts, but therewere so many things to distract his attention within the great stockadethat he concluded it would be advisable to walk outside, where he couldbe really alone with his reflections. 

Before doing so, however, he could not resist the temptation to stealback once more for another glimpse of the little fairy under thefactor's roof, so that he could carry the picture with him while hesettled the momentous question. 

Perhaps he felt a vague sense of its all having been a dream, and wishedto thus reassure himself as to the reality. 

Be that as it might, some subtle power took him back to the vicinity ofthe door through which he had first caught his glimpse of Jessie, theflower of Fort Harmony. For the first time he believed the post to bewell named, after all. 

All seemed to be quiet in that part of the stockade, and as he did notwish any one to see what he was doing, Owen carefully made out to avoidcontact with such of the habitues of the post who might still bewandering about. 

Thus he came to where he could look through the still open door. 

The child was there, and seemed to be holding her precious dolly in herarms as she rocked to and fro in a little chair; and Owen smiled to seethat every now and then the diminutive maid would bend down and kiss theinanimate face with the greatest vigor. 

Perhaps she was keeping her word and giving dolly the salute this newand "awfully nice" cousin had left for her. 

The picture was something worth while carrying with him as he went outto commune with his thoughts and decide on his future. 

Owen was just about tearing himself away, much against his will, when hebecame aware of a strange thing. 

Apparently some one else was hovering around that darkened part of thestockade with the express purpose of peeping in at the door and feastingtheir eyes on the pretty picture disclosed, for he discovered a headbetween himself and the opening and which certainly did not belong tothe old factor by any means. 

The man wore a skin cap and must belong to the brigade of trappersworking for the company, else why should he be here; but what right hadhe prowling around at the back of the factor's dwelling at this time ofnight?

Owen felt indignation taking hold of him, and this was increased tenfoldwhen to his surprise he saw that the individual was actually beginningto glide noiselessly through the doorway. 

It may be all very right for a _cousin_ to do this, especially wheninvited by the little lady of the room to enter and make theacquaintance of her new doll, but in another it must appear a crime. 

So Owen stood there, quivering with suspense and indignation, hardlyknowing what he ought to do under the circumstances. 

Who was this individual and by what right did he dare to enter here?

When the light fell upon his face Owen saw that so far as he wasconcerned the other was a stranger, and a man with gray streaks in hisbeard; but that put the boy no wiser than before. 

Unconsciously Owen began to advance closer to the open door, as if hebelieved it might devolve upon him to act as the child's protector, although in one sense it seemed ridiculous to suspect that danger couldmenace her, here in the domain of her grandfather, the factor, whoseword was law. 

The man glided forward and seemed to speak to the child, for Owen sawher turn and survey him wonderingly; then it seemed as if she shrankback when the man put out his arms, still speaking in a wheedling tone, and Owen could see Jessie shaking her little head in a decided negativein answer to his questions--evidently the intruder was well known toher, but at the same time she seemed to have no good opinion of him, andagain and again repulsed his advances, each time more decidedly, untilthe man lost all discretion and proceeded to show a different side tohis nature. 

CHAPTER XIX. 

FOR SO IT WAS WRITTEN. 

Without warning the man suddenly sprang forward and seized the child inhis arms; evidently fearing lest she scream and betray his presence, heinstantly clapped one hand over her mouth. 

She struggled desperately, but was as an infant in his clutch; andturning, he started to leave the room, evidently expecting to be able toget out of the stockade without being seen, since the hour to close thebig gates would not arrive for some little time. 

Owen, bursting with indignation and anger, sprang to intercept the man, who up to this very moment had not been aware of the fact that hisattempt at kidnapping had been witnessed. 

When he felt the hands of the boy upon him the fellow uttered a low butvenomous oath, and seeing that he could not defend himself against thisenemy with both his hands employed in holding the child, who had nowswooned in her terror, he dropped little Jessie to the floor and turnedupon his antagonist like an enraged lynx. 

Owen was only a half-grown lad, but he had lived a strenuous life, andhis muscles were developed to a point where he was almost equal to a manin strength, so that it was no weakling the fellow tackled when he thusfiercely tried to tear himself free so that he could escape ere thefactor or some of his minions arrived upon the scene, attracted by thesound of the scuffle. 

He struggled desperately, but Owen still clung to him like a leech, bentupon holding him until help came, for he believed this wretch should bepunished for his vile attempt to kidnap the sweet child. 

Finding that he was having more trouble to break away than he hadexpected the man resorted to other means of influencing the boy besidesbrute strength. 

"Let go of me, you fool! I am that child's father, Angus Ferguson, d'yehear? Is it a crime for me to want to see my own? Let go, or by heavenI'll murder you, boy. I know you--I heard the men talking about you, Owen Dugdale, and ye should be the last to try and hold me for thatdevil, Alexander Gregory. Let go, I say! Do ye not hear them coming?Shall I kill ye here and now?" he cried, hoarsely, as he put forth allhis great power to break the other's hold. 

Yes, Owen did hear them coming, men on the run, men who were callingout to each other and to the factor to hasten; and he was more than everdetermined that this wretch should not escape. 

What if he were the father of little Jessie, she and her mother had longago repudiated him, and his mission here could not but menace the childwith evil. 

No matter who he was, he must remain to give an account of hisintentions to the czar of the region around the Saskatchewan. 

So Owen continued to hang on, harkening not to the grumbled threats ofthe desperate man with whom he wrestled. 

All the other now considered was escape, and to that end he was exertingevery atom of strength he possessed; twice had he brought his clenchedfist into contact with the boy's head; but at such close quarters theblow was not nearly so effective as it would have otherwise been, and atany rate, it only caused him to clench his hands the more rigidly, untilit seemed that, like the grip of the bulldog, only death could make himlet go. 

And it was thus they were found when several men belonging to thecompany rushed in at the door, headed by the factor himself. 

They precipitated themselves upon the struggling couple immediately andtore them apart, the factor staring hard first at Owen and then at theother, who was breathing hard from his exertions, yet glaring in rage atthe grizzled Scotchman. 

One look Gregory took at the figure of little Jessie on the floor and heseemed to comprehend the whole of the man's iniquity. 

"Angus Ferguson here! And ye would have kidnapped the child given to meby the court's decree, ye villain! It's nae gude ye would have beenintendin' to the wee bairn. I thought ye dead ere now, but its scotchedand not killed ye must hae been by that forest fire twa year back. Butnow I'll see to it that ye do no mair harm in this section. I hae got yewhar I want ye at last, ye contemptible dog, " exclaimed the factor, unconsciously in his excitement reverting back in some degree to hisbrogue. 

"Can ye blame the fatherly instinct that urged me to come here, knowingas I did that I took my life in my hand?" growled the other, sullenly. 

"Fatherly instinct be hanged. Ye never knew what it was in the past. Always hae ye been a rogue, with a double tongue in your head. Fatherlyinstinct, in faith, I hae a gude idea ye meant to carry off the child, if naething more than to stab me, whom ye hate like poison?" saidGregory, and his words burned like a scorpion's sting, for the man burstout into a string of oaths. 

"And I would have succeeded if it hadn't been for this meddling youngfool, this son of the daughter you thrust out of your flinty heart. Heheld me here, curse him! I defy you, Gregory! Do your worst with me. Notanother word do you get out of me now, " and he shut his teeth hard as ifthe tortures of the Inquisition might not force him to speak. 

The factor shot one look at Owen, a look that was benign, even full ofhearty thanksgiving, and it was evident that by his act of that nightthe lad had fully bridged the gulf that had lain between them; he heldthe whip hand now, and it would be his grandfather who would be suingfor forgiveness ere another sun had gone down. 

"Fatherly love ye say, Angus Ferguson? I do not believe it. There wasanother motive that brought ye here the night. My scouts hae told methat ye were with the crowd that camps on our land, and so I know ye arehand and glove with those who are at war with me. It was as a spy yecame here to see what we meant to do. If it were war times ye shouldmeet death for such an act; as it is, the law has a claim on ye, andI'll do my best to see that it is satisfied. Ye shall be kept close inthe dungeon under this house until I have a chance to send ye to theheadquarters of the mounted police. Men, take him away and see that heis properly searched before ye leave him. I would not put it past thescoundrel to fire the house and burn us all in our beds if so be hecould. "

While some of the hardly trappers were dragging the prisoner away toconfine him according to the directions they had received, Gregory bentover the form of the little girl, whom he took tenderly in his arms andkissed with a passion that told of the hold she had upon his heart. 

Jessie was coming to and opened her blue eyes at this moment, shrinkingcloser to her grandfather and hugging her arms about his neck; then shepeeped timidly around as if in search of the bad parent who had tried toget her to desert this precious home she loved so well. 

Owen, seeing that she was unharmed, turned to leave, but her eyes caughtsight of him and she called his name. 

"Cousin Owen, please get my dolly for me; she's afraid to be alone, " shesaid; and obediently the lad stepped forward to obey, while old Gregorysmiled to see that the little queen of the post had found another loyalsubject who was ready to cater abjectly to her petty whims. 

"Boy, " he said, as Owen flashed him a glance ere going out; "I must seeyou in the morning. You must not think of going hence, for here youbelong to this little girl and to me! Stay with us; let us show by ourlove what sorrow for the past has done for me. Your act this night hasbound you to us in chains that must not be lightly broken. Owen, lad, you will find that the old iron spirit can be easily bent now. Do notleave us; we need you, both Jessie and I. "

Owen felt a lump in his throat, and tears in his eyes, which seemed tohim such a childish sensation that he could not bear they should noticeit; so abruptly wheeling he dashed from the room. But as he went heheard that sweet childish voice calling after him:

"Cousin Owen, say you will stay, please; we want you, dolly and me!"

He was shaking with the emotion that had almost overpowered him and yethis boyish heart seemed to be filled with satisfaction and delight overthe way all things had come about. 

That strong and desperate man had not been able to make him yield aninch, and yet here he was ready to fall down and admit himself aprisoner, simply because a child had called him "cousin. "

He felt that he could not go back to the tent while in such a disturbedstate of mind, and accordingly wandered away to where he might be alone, with the quiet stars looking down upon him from above. 

How many times in the past had he stood under this same starry heavensand wrestled with the problems that beset his way; but never with thetingling sensation of new-found happiness that now filled his wholebeing. 

As he stood there in the stillness some distance away from the outerwalls of the grim stockade Owen seemed to feel that the spirit of hisgentle mother was with him again, and he knew she would approve of theresolve he had made since learning about the cousin, of whose existenceup to now he had never known. 

And while he stood there a star swept like a glorious meteor across thewide expanse of the night sky, filling his soul with awe, for it seemedto him as though he had thus been given a sign from heaven that hiscourse met with approval there among the shining ones above. 

Long he stood there and pondered, not that he had need to take himselfto task, because his course was already mapped out, but the gates ofthe past had been opened by these discoveries, and he could inimagination see his mother walking about these scenes she had so oftendescribed to him, a fair young girl, with golden hair and blue eyes, solike the cherub who was doubtless still in the loving arms of her dotinggrandfather, the stern czar of the Hudson Bay post. 

So had it all come out right, events being guided by some mysteriouspower that shaped them to the best end, and Owen was satisfied. 

When he finally turned about, since the hour was getting very late, andstarted to once more enter through the gates which would soon be closed, he heaved a sigh, but not of anxiety or grief; rather did his spiritrejoice that the long battle with his better nature was over at last andthat the right had won out. 

How wonderful were the ways of Providence after all, and how small mustthe plans of mortal man seem in comparison; he had been brought back tothe post really against his will, and yet see what had come of it;already had he been enabled by his presence to save the sweet child fromfalling into the hands of her unscrupulous father, and thus won theheart of the old factor as he could have done in no other way. 

And Owen had not a single regret as he turned in at the gate, and headedfor that corner of the stockade where the tent that was to serve them asa shelter had been erected earlier in the evening. 

CHAPTER XX. 

THE TENT DWELLERS. 

Somehow Cuthbert could not get to sleep. 

He was constantly thinking of Owen and his fortunes, weaving castles inthe air that might be fulfilled, providing the sturdy young Canuck couldbe convinced that it was right and proper for him to become reconciledwith his grandfather, and let bygones be forgotten. 

So an hour or two passed. 

Cuthbert finally arose and cast his blanket aside, for he had not madeuse of his sleeping bag on this night. 

Stepping out of the tent he looked around; the night was fair and not asign of trouble could be detected in atmosphere or sky, for the heavenlymonitors shone overhead with their usual brilliancy, and there was notmuch of a tang in the drowsy night wind. 

Cuthbert thought it suspiciously quiet, knowing how it often grows calmbefore a storm. 

Really he was beginning to feel worried a bit about the non-appearanceof Owen, when he caught the soft sound of footsteps and the object ofhis solicitude appeared close by. 

"Hello, keeping watch?" he asked, a little surprised to find one of hiscompanions up and looking around. 

"No, I just happened to wake up, and not finding you in the shack, creptout to take a peep around, and see if there was any sign of your coming. I had begun to fear our mutual friends, Stackpole and Dubois, might havewaylaid you, old fellow; but now I see I was wrong. You've been taking abit of exercise, no doubt--didn't get enough on our way here, eh? It didme up, all right, and I was glad to drop down and rest. Now you're incamp I'll resume my nap, " answered Cuthbert, leaving it to the other asto whether he wanted to explain. 

Owen seemed a trifle confused, but he was a straightforward fellow andwithout a trace of guile in his make-up. 

"To confess the truth, Cuthbert, I hung around for a long time to get aglimpse of that little cousin you spoke of, and fortune was kind enoughto let me see her several times. Just as you say, she looks like a fairyand somehow made me think of a picture I have of my mother when she wasyoung. I had quite a little talk with her, too, which made it verypleasant. And while I'm about it I might as well own up that the sightof her, together with the thoughts swarming into my mind, caused me tofinally wander off into the woods, where alone I could fight the wholething out and come to such a conclusion as the mother I loved would havehad me do. It's been a hard tussle, I tell you, but I think I've wonout, " he said, with a quiver in his voice, and it was easy to see thatthe lad had been recently racked by emotions that for some time he hadsucceeded in keeping under restraint. 

Cuthbert understood better than words could have told him what thenature of that battle under the stars must have been, and to show hissympathy for this new but dear chum he impulsively thrust out his handand gripped that of Owen. 

"I'm awful glad to know it--say no more, old fellow, for I can give apretty good guess how it turned out. Come, tumble into your blankets andget some of your beauty sleep. There's another day coming, when I hopeall of these twists and misunderstandings may be smoothed out andeverything look bully. Now, crawl in and feel for your nest--it's on theside to the right, first blanket. "

"Wait a bit, " said Owen, "there's something else you ought to know. Perhaps you heard all that racket awhile ago. Well, I was partly thecause of that, " and then he went on to tell the wondering Cuthbert whata strange thing had occurred while he was still lingering near the roomthat held Jessie Ferguson. 

The Virginia lad was also pleased, because he knew the reconciliationcould not be much longer delayed, and presently he lay down once more tosleep. 

Owen was accustomed to turning in all standing, as a sailor wouldsay--that is, with simply pulling off his boots or moccasins, whicheverhe chanced to be wearing, for a life in the woods does not allow of thecustomary preparations for bed; even the other two boys only removedtheir outer garments, though when the weather had been milder Cuthberthad indulged in the delight of pajamas; but the first frost had chilledhis ardor in that line, and he had gradually come to copying Eli, whohad the habits of the loggers of the great Michigan woods and waived allceremony. 

When ten minutes had passed Cuthbert fancied from the regular breathingthat came from the spot where the Canadian lad lay that he was far alongthe road to the Land of Nod, and giving a satisfied grunt, he himselfturned over, to let himself slip away on the tide. 

Those who spend much time in the woods, in camps are restless during thenight, and rarely sleep through without once or twice arousing, liftingtheir head to listen through habit or caution, or even crawling out torenew the fire. 

True, there was no need of these things now with our boys, butnevertheless Cuthbert seemed to rest under the impression that it wouldnot be a good thing to break a settled habit, and so along about oneo'clock in the morning he poked his head out of the tent to take aperfunctory look around, just as an old and tarry sailor, from habit, jerks his head up while passing along the street of a city, not so muchto survey the skyscrapers that tower above him, but from sheer habit ofglancing aloft at the shivering sails of the old hooker upon which helabors twenty hours of the day. 

He found that the sky was covered with clouds, and there was beginningto be quite some wind--indeed, it may have been a corner of the tentwhich was whipping monotonously in each rising gust that had arousedhim. 

Anyhow, he bent down and secured the flapping end, so that it would notawaken the others with its antics, after which he took another survey ofthe situation and again crawled under cover, convinced that by the dawnthey might anticipate a storm of some kind. 

It was a bit pleasant to know that they were now in such a decent sortof shelter and could keep quite dry, no matter how the rain came down, and if it so happened that the first real touch of winter was sprungupon them, why surely it would not be hard to keep cozy, with plenty ofwood to burn and a storehouse so close at hand, from which any amount ofprovisions could be obtained, since he possessed the "open sesame" inthe way of cash. 

He thought he heard Owen move as he crawled back into the tent again, but was not quite positive, and he did not want to arouse both of theothers, in case they were asleep, by asking questions. 

The last he remembered after that for some time was of lying there andlistening to the increasing moan of the wind among the tops of the greathemlocks that stood close by the corner of the stockade; it seemed aftera time like a lullaby soothing him to sleep, for Cuthbert was too old ahand at this sort of game to allow himself to grow nervous over thecoming of a little whirl, such as this no doubt would prove to be. 

Then he lost consciousness and slept heavily, unmindful of the wind, the mournful hoot of a great northern owl in the dead tree nearby, oreven the howls of big gray timber wolves grown bold with the nearness ofwinter. 

CHAPTER XXI

AT DEAD OF NIGHT. 

Some one, violently shaking him, brought Cuthbert once more to hissenses, and he aroused to the fact that it was Eli, who kept shouting inhis ear:

"Wake up--wake up, there's the dickens to pay--pile out and help, oldman--they need us bad--get up, I say, get up!"

That was certainly quite sufficient to thoroughly arouse any one, nomatter if he had been a sluggard, and surely Cuthbert could never becalled that; so, with a toss of the blankets, he scrambled to his feet;then, remembering that he was in his socks, he hastened to snatch up hisboots and pull them on. 

All this only took a few seconds of time, but during the brief periodCuthbert was dazed with the awful clamor that was making the welkin ringwithout, for it seemed as though every known sound had been accumulatedto help carry out the idea that Gabriel was blowing his last trumpet, with the end of the world close at hand. 

He knew men were shouting madly, and from the voices it was plain thatthose who thus gave tongue were both Cree Indians and Canadian_voyageurs_, for the latter had gone back to their French tongue withthe advent of excitement--then it struck the Virginia lad that anothersound which he had heard was very much along the line of the roaringflames, and immediately the conviction forced itself upon him that insome manner the forest close by had been fired, perhaps by some enemy ofthe factor, such as Dubois or Stackpole, and that there was danger ofthe conflagration leaping the barrier and attacking the houses withinthe compound. 

No sooner had he thrust his nose outside the tent than he gave utteranceto an exclamation of mingled surprise and consternation. 

It was a fire all right, but not of the species he had suspected--theroaring sound was produced by the wind whipping the flames into theangry flood, but it was hewn timber, not erect trees, that were ablaze, one of the houses, in fact, with an end a seething mass of flames. 

Cuthbert knew not what to think, save that possibly some enemy had donethis; but he was quick to lend his aid to save whatever the contentsmight be. 

Accordingly he hastened in that quarter. 

Already he had discovered that while he slept a storm had swept downupon the region of the Saskatchewan, and was howling through the forestand over the waters with demoniac glee, though as yet not a drop of rainhad fallen, or a flake of snow descended, though one or the other mustcome in time. 

But that mad breeze was a bad thing for a fire, since it would whip theflames until they tore loose from all human control, to carry ruin intheir train. 

Cuthbert was not alone in his rush toward the burning building, sincefrom various directions human figures were to be seen centering in thatquarter, for the employes of the fur company were certainly loyal andwilling to do all that men might in order to save property or lives. 

At first Cuthbert imagined that it was the storehouse, and while theburning of its contents might cause some inconvenience, there was stilltime to replenish the stock before winter set in fully, so that itseemed to be only a question of a money loss at the most. 

But as he advanced, his eyes trying to pierce the cloud of smoke thathung all about the burning building, he began to sense the import of thewild cries that were being uttered about him, a Cree shouting to a_voyageur_, or it might be one of the French halfbreeds to a fellow, andas the nature of their shouts broke in upon his intelligence, he felt anew thrill of alarm. 

It was not the store building, but the residence portion that was afire, and Cuthbert remembered like a flash that the little cousin of Owen hadher quarters there, as well as the old factor. 

He looked around hurriedly, expecting to see both close by, but to hishorror failed to do so. 

What could it mean--where was the sturdy head of the post, theScotchman, who, despite his age, had seemed to the boys so like anoak--was it possible, after all, there could be something fiendish backof this conflagration, and that Alexander Gregory had been first of allstricken in his house before the match was applied?

It was an awful thought, enough to make Cuthbert's blood run cold, butbefore he could communicate his fears to any one he heard a roar as of alion, and saw the factor come tumbling through smoke and flame--herolled over upon the earth once or twice, while the Virginia lad fairlyheld his breath in suspense, fearing that the valiant old chap mighthave received his death wound while battling with the flames; then, tothe delight of Cuthbert, the factor struggled to his feet and began tohobble around as if he had a broken leg, meanwhile shouting out ordersin that foghorn voice that made men spring to obey. 

But the little one. Where was she? The factor evidently believed Jessiemust have come forth some time back, for he was not ordering the men to_try_ and save the stricken building, but to devote their energiestoward keeping the flames away from the storehouse. 

Even as Cuthbert watched as in a dream he saw the factor try to walk, but immediately fall down, to be assisted to his feet again by a coupleof the men. 

Then came a flying figure up to his side--it was Owen, who had oncevowed never to speak to this relative again so long as he lived, butwhom Cuthbert knew had just recently repented of this resolution and wasready to meet his grandfather half way in the morning. 

He seemed to seize upon the old man and shout something at him--justwhat it was Cuthbert could not hear, so furious was the whoop of thewind and the roar of the sweeping flames; but he guessed it to the dot, for he knew beyond a doubt that the Canadian lad was demanding to betold where the girl slept, for she had not been seen since the firebroke out. 

Old Gregory became a frantic man on the spot, for his whole life waswrapped up in the little fairy; he tried to rush forward himself, butwent down in a heap, struggled to his knees, with Owen gripping his armfiercely and continuing to shrill that question into his ear, until atlast in despair the old factor thrust out his hand and with quiveringfinger pointed at the end of the burning domicil, being utterly unableto frame a single word, speech failing him. 

It was quite enough for Owen. 

Like an arrow shot from the bow he sped straight into the smoke andflame. 

Cuthbert gave a gasp and feared he had seen the last of his new chum, but he felt a thrill of admiration because of the daring act--it wasworth while to realize that his first estimation of the Canadian lad hadbeen correct, and that when the occasion called for an exhibition ofvalor Owen had risen to meet it in a way that must excite admirationamong all men who honored true bravery. 

The picture was one that would never fade from the mind ofCuthbert--leaning up against one of the palisades Alexander Gregoryseemed turned into stone, as he watched the spot where the lad hadvanished, wringing his hands in the intensity of his anxiety--twice hemade a spasmodic movement as though intending to hobble forward andplunge into that vortex of fierce flame himself, but each time a groanwas forced from his lips when he discovered that his leg was reallyuseless, the sprain being serious. 

Cuthbert wished he knew of something that he could do to assist, butsince the other had vanished there was no sign, and to simply followafter him would mean a triple tragedy, an altogether useless sacrifice. 

Eli was at his elbow and together they pushed as close to the burningwalls as possible, eagerly scanning the windows above for the first signof Owen and meanwhile shouting at some halfbreeds, who were staggeringunder the weight of a ladder which they had found close by and guessedmight be useful in some sort of an emergency. 

Cuthbert held his breath. 

He really had very little hope of ever seeing his new friend again, forthere did not seem to be one chance in a dozen for any one to issueforth from that fiery furnace alive, since this was not the day ofmiracles. 

It was like an age to him, though in all probability but a minute hadreally crept by since Owen vanished through the doorway, and yet duringthat interval the fire had gained more headway, despite all efforts ofthe gathered employes of the Hudson Bay Company to smother it withwater, pumped through a hose and by means of an old hand engine keptagainst just such an emergency. 

A hand gripped Cuthbert's arm and turning his head quickly he found thatit was Eli who had thus unconsciously caught hold of him--possibly thetremendous excitement had weakened the backwoods lad, so that heclutched at support; but he was staring upward toward one of thewindows, as though some movement might have caught his attention there. 

His campmate naturally enough cast his eyes in the same quarter, as ifsudden hope had sprung into existence; but it was to see the flamesshoot out of the window in a manner that must have utterly precluded thepossibility of Owen making an exit there. 

Cuthbert groaned aloud, filled with dismay--it was a horrible thoughtthus thrust upon his mind, for there is something unusually agonizing ina death by fire; and it seemed as though the last chance had gone whenthe demon of the flames thrust his grinning visage out of that window. 

Then Eli gave vent to a sudden shout close to his ear, so that he heardwhat was said even above the frightful roar of the wind and crackle offlames:

"The roof--look up yonder over the eaves--hurra, he's got her--bullyfor Owen, I say!" was what Eli shrieked. 

Wonderful to say, the brave Canadian lad had indeed pushed out throughsome sort of trap or scuttle in the sloping roof, the presence of whichseemed to be unknown to him; and just as Eli had declared, he wascarrying a little limp figure in his stout and willing arms, none otherthan his cousin Jessie, the darling of the old factor's heart. 

Cuthbert was stricken dumb for the moment, it all seemed so like thehand of Providence directing things so that the wandering boy might comeinto his own. 

Gregory gave out a cry that was more like a roar of exultation, for hehad been down in the depths of despair, and the sight of his lissomelassie still in the land of the living acted like a spur upon him--hestretched out his arms in the direction of those upon the roof, andagain endeavored to hasten toward them, only to fall over once morehelpless upon the ground. 

Then Cuthbert awoke to the fact that while his chum had done a boldthing, and for the moment cheated the flames of their intendedsacrifice, he was not yet safe, for all around the flashing tongues offire gathered for a last effort at accomplishing the dread work, sothat the twain above seemed hemmed in. 

So Cuthbert shouted to those who carried the hose, and forced them toturn the stream of water upon one spot where the fire was weakest;rushing at those who were staggering forward bearing the ladder, heseized hold of the blessed thing and urged them to raise it against thewall at that particular point. 

CHAPTER XXII. 

CONCLUSION. 

Eli was determined to be in the game, too, and while his chum was thusengaged in creating a chance for the escape of the two upon the roof, the boy from the timber region hustled several men forward, bearingarmfuls of pelts that others had just drawn from the lower floor of thehouse--they were especially costly skins, and the lot might be worth aduke's ransom; but at the moment, with those two precious lives inperil, to the anxious factor they were as dross, and he would only toowillingly have stood the loss of the whole kit could he by this meanshave saved the one so dear to his old heart. 

With these Eli meant to fashion some sort of buffer, that would breakthe fall should the couple above find themselves compelled to jump; andit was a splendid scheme to be formed on the spur of that dreadfulmoment, one that Cuthbert never could forget, or cease to praise. 

Meanwhile, he was pretty busily employed at his own affair, placing theladder against the building, and directing those who had held the hoseto keep the stream of water chasing up and down that particular quarter. 

Owen could not see everything that was being tried; but he knew fairlywell what they intended he should do, and once assured of the presenceof the ladder, he did not hesitate about using the same. 

What if the fiery fingers did snatch after him as if furious at beingcheated of their prey--the blessed stream of water, cold with the frostybreath of the approaching winter, showered about him, and saved themboth from even a serious burn. 

Cuthbert was waiting at the foot of the ladder, ready to spring up andrender quick assistance if it was necessary; but Owen still remained inpossession of his powers, and gripped the little girl securely in hisarms. 

It was as if a new life had suddenly opened up to the lonely lad--thisone whom he had saved from the deadly gas and fire was his own kith andkin, daughter of his mother's sister; and the very touch of the girl'ssenseless form was able to send a thrill of exultation through him. 

Cuthbert did not attempt to take the burden from him, for he understoodjust what it meant for Owen to bring the girl to her grandfather byhimself; so he fell in behind, calling to the men to desist with theirstream, to turn it upon the storehouse, while others gathered up thecostly skins that had been thrown down with such good intent. 

Alexander Gregory had struggled to his feet again--little did he heedthe pains that accompanied his sprain, even though the misadventurecrippled him for the time being, and rendered it difficult to standwithout help; for his attention was wholly taken up with that stilllittle form that Owen was hugging in his stalwart and affectionate arms. 

Jessie had been almost smothered by the smoke; but her rescuer, knowinghow perilous such a thing might be, had been careful to wrap somethingaround her head, so that after that the atmosphere reached her lesspermeated by noxious gases; and when Owen gained the ground she had sofar recovered as to struggle enough to free her head from thisenveloping mantle, and make a movement as though desirous of beingreleased. 

But Owen, partly overcome himself by the smoke he had taken into hislungs, did not fully understand, and staggering up to the old factor heheld out his burden, gasping:

"Here she is, grandfather, safe and sound!"

Cuthbert held his breath, and then suddenly gave vent to a shout of joy;for just as he hoped, even if he did not wholly expect it to occur, thefactor, wild with delight and thankfulness, simply stretched his armsand gathered into his embrace both girl and lad. 

Owen was a wanderer no more; but had found his own in the heart of hisgrandsire. It was a splendid ending to the little forest drama, andCuthbert was the happiest fellow on the face of the earth at thatmoment; for he had in the short time he had known Owen grown to feelvery warmly toward the manly young Canadian, and nothing that could havehappened to himself might have given him one-half the pleasure that thisfinal scene did. 

Eli was a demonstrative chap, and he just squatted down on the spot andcried for very joy; while he did not know the satisfaction of a homehimself, still he could rejoice over the fact that his friend had ceasedto belong to the grand order of nomads. 

There was still considerable to do, in order to keep the fire withinbounds, for while the living quarters of the factor had gone too far tobe saved, there remained other buildings, some containing stores ofgreat value, and unless the employes of the company were smart the postwould be practically wiped out. 

So Cuthbert led them to the assault, and fought fire as valiantly asever any member of an engine company in a crack tournament could havedone in order that his town might win the grand prize offered. 

The hose proved valuable enough; but only for the assistance of the windpossibly there might have been another story to tell when the firefinally ceased its mad antics through lack of fuel--it chanced that thebreeze was blowing away from the other buildings, and while the stockadecaught, it could be easily extinguished. 

Of course the factor had met with quite a serious loss; but he seemed tocare mighty little about this, since his precious darling had beenspared; as far as the other things went they could be easily duplicatedbefore the rigor of winter had fully settled down upon the Saskatchewancountry, and he was well able to stand the penalty in dollars and cents. 

Then there was the pride he took in the valiant rescue work of Owen; hiseyes were continually turning toward the lad with a softened light intheir depths, and it was evident that his heart had become exceedinglytender with respect to this wandering son of his daughter. 

He several times called Owen to him to ask if he were certain that hehad not received serious burns while within the blazing house; toCuthbert it was plain that this was in part a subterfuge to have theother near him, since his sprained ankle prevented him from movingabout. 

When morning came he would have a heart-to-heart talk with the lad, andnever again must there be a cloud allowed to rise between them--thesethree were all that were left of the family, now, and they must sticktogether. 

The factor told Cuthbert what might be done to insure them some degreeof comfort during the remainder of the night, and with the assistance ofthe other lads he saw that it was carried out. 

An hour later the excitement had all died away; the spot where the houseof the factor had stood only contained a pile of ruins, stillsmouldering, with an occasional tongue of fire shooting upward; but eredawn this was fully extinguished by a fall of rain. 

They never fully settled how the fire had caught; it may have been anaccident, but there were those who believed that the prisoner had takena hint from Alexander Gregory's bitter words and really fired the house;at any rate he had disappeared utterly, whether finding safety inflight or meeting death in the flames none could say. 

Mr. Gregory was well enough inside of a week to accompany the boys downthe big Saskatchewan to the nearest town where he could obtain thosesupplies which were needed to replace what the fire had devoured; theyhad a fine time of it swinging along with a couple of great batteaus, manned by the French-Canadian _voyageurs_, who sang their boat songs asthey rowed, and made things merry around the fire at night time. 

Cuthbert and Eli hated to part from the chum who had so quickly won hisway to their hearts, and they readily promised to come back again tothis charming country, when another year rolled around--Eli had his mindset upon working that copper mine, and Cuthbert had promised to see thatthe necessary capital was secured with which to provide all theparaphernalia such as is used to advantage--if his chum was of the samemind after he had roamed around the world with him. 

Owen's little cousin had accompanied grandpa to town, since a "woman'sjudgment" was considered essential in choosing some of the householdeffects; and the last glimpse our twain had of dear old Owen, theerstwhile lad, was standing with his arm about Jessie, while the proudfactor beamed upon them both, and waved his hat with just as muchenthusiasm as the youngsters. 

Eli after all never found a chance to develop his copper mine, but withsuch a chum as Cuthbert ever with him there promised to be small need ofhis looking to that source as a means of travel; together they have seennearly all the countries on the map of the world, and at present aredoing South America. 

Stackpole and Dubois had sense enough to cruise in other timber thanthat surrounding the trading post. 

So Cuthbert after all had found much pleasure in the great Saskatchewanregion, even though he failed to map out a new route to Alaska, or learnany of the wonderful secrets hidden in the wide stretches of barrensbetween the country of the Crees and the Chippewas, and the lonelyHudson Bay. 

Many times would his memory go back to the scenes that embraced Owen, the stern old factor, and sweet little Jessie; and again he would liveover those days and nights when they were "Canoemates in Canada. "

THE END.