A Countess from Canada | Page 9

profits from his Indian traffic, and a
good many other and more legitimate profits also. Since then Oily
Dave had hated the storekeeper with a zest and energy which bade fair
to become the ruling passion of his life; but except for a few minor
disagreeables, that could hardly be said to count, his ill will had thus far
not gone beyond sneer and invective.
Katherine was always afraid of him, and of what he might do to her
father if he had the chance; for his nature was small and mean, so small
and so mean that, though he might not risk a reprisal which would
bring him within the reach of the law, he would not hesitate at any
small, mean act of spite which might injure his victim, yet would not
reflect on himself. Since knowing of her father's trouble, she had been
more afraid of Oily Dave than ever, for there was a sinister look about
the man, and she feared she knew not what.
When the dogs, with their master in the sledge, and Katherine
following close behind, dashed up to the door of the store that evening,
Oily Dave was the first person to step forward to lend a helping hand in
getting 'Duke Radford housed and his hurts examined. There were six
or seven men loafing about the store that evening, and they all helped;
so Katherine, when she had kicked off her snowshoes, was able to dart
indoors to warn Mrs. Burton about what had happened.
"He ought to be put to bed at once, Nellie. Night school must go for
to-night, and if he has to keep his bed to-morrow, why, I must teach in
here, or even in the store," she said hurriedly, deciding everything on
the spot as was her wont, because Mrs. Burton always found it so
difficult to make up her mind on any subject.
"Do you think that would be best, or shall we give him our
bedroom?--though that would be frightfully inconvenient, and I should

be so worried to be obliged to put the children to bed in that other room
at night, so far away from us, after the store is closed," sighed Mrs.
Burton, who stood still in the middle of the room, clasping and
unclasping her hands in nervous distress, while Katherine dragged off
her encumbering wraps, tossing them in a heap on the floor.
"Come and help me to make the bed, Nellie," she said, turning away
and leaving Mrs. Burton's plaintive questions unanswered.
The elder sister at once did as the younger requested, sighing a little as
she went, yet relieved all the same because the matter had been settled
for her. By this time some of the men had brought 'Duke Radford into
the store, and, sitting him on the bench by the stove, were peeling off
his outer wraps. Some of the others had unharnessed the dogs, while
Phil carried out their supper. Miles, meanwhile, was looking sharply
after the store; for, although these neighbours were so kind and helpful,
some of them were not to be trusted farther than they could be seen,
and would have helped themselves to sugar, beans, tobacco, or
anything else which took their fancy if the opportunity had been given
them for doing so.
Whilst two of the men took 'Duke Radford's clothes off, and got him
safely into bed, another man approached Miles and asked for a
particular kind of tobacco. The boy sought for it in the place where it
was usually kept, but, failing to find it, turned to Katherine, who stood
in impatient misery by the stove, waiting to go to her father when the
men had done with him.
"Katherine. where is the Black Crow tobacco kept now? It always used
to be on the shelf below the tea packets."
"We are out of it," she replied. "But we shall have plenty to-morrow. I
had to cache most of the stores we were bringing; but they are safe
enough, for I turned the little sledge upside down on the top of them, so
I guess neither wolf nor wolverine will be able to get at them to tear the
packets to pieces."
"You won't be able to get them either, for with all this snow you will

never be able to find them," said the man in a disappointed tone, for he
was a great smoker who cared for only one sort of tobacco.
"Oh! make your mind quite easy on that score," replied Katherine. "I
hung Father's broken snowshoe in a branch of the tree, to mark the
place, and I shall go over quite early to-morrow to bring the goods
home."
Directly she had spoken she repented her words; for she saw, without
appearing to see, a