A Mating in the Wilds | Page 6

bartering with the factor, saw the beautiful Indian girl from the neighbouring camp. He nodded an affirmative, and seeing an opportunity to obtain information turned and spoke to the man.
"Yes, but that girl there with Mr. Ainley----"
"Oui, m'sieu. But she no squaw-girl. She grand person who make' ze tour with ze governor."
"Oh, the governor makes the tour, does he?"
"Oui, oui! In the old style, with a brigade of boats, and a bugler. A summer trip, vous comprenez--a picnic to all ze posts in ze province. Thus it is to be a great man!"
"And Mr. Ainley, what is he doing at Fort Malsun?"
"Ah, M'sieu Ainley! He also is ze great man. He is to be among the governors--one day. He also visits ze posts, and will no doubt travel with ze governor, whose prot��g�� he is."
"Is that so?"
"Dat is so! He is ze favourite, vous comprenez?"
"I did not know it."
"Non? But so it ees! And Louis and me, we go with heem in ze canoe to serve heem. Though by gar, I like to make stop here, an' talk to dat squaw-girl."
Stane made no vocal reply to this. He nodded carelessly and passed into the store. Factor Rodwell looked round as he entered, and surveyed him with a measuring eye, as if taking stock of a new acquaintance, then gave him a curt nod and resumed his barter with the Indian. His assistant being also busy for the moment, Stane turned towards the Indian girl whose liquid eyes were regarding him shyly, and addressed her in her native dialect.
"Little sister, why did you run from me yesterday?"
The girl was covered with confusion at the directness of his question, and to help her over her embarrassment the young man laughed.
"You did not mistake me for Moorseen (the black bear) or the bald-face grizzly, did you?"
At the question the girl laughed shyly, and shook her head without speaking.
"I am but a man, and not the grizzled one. Wherefore should you run from me, little sister?"
"I had never seen such a man before."
The directness of the answer, given in a shy voice, astonished him. It was his turn to be embarrassed and he strove to turn the edge of the compliment.
"Never seen a white man before!" he cried in mock amazement.
"I did not say that I had never seen a white man before. I have seen many. The priest up at Fort of God, the doctor priest at the Last Hope, the factor there, and M'sieu Ainley who came to our camp yesternight. And there is also this fat man they call the governor--a great chief, it is said; though he does not look as such a great one should look. Yes, I have seen many white men, but none like thee before."
Hubert Stane was routed once more by the girl's directness, but strove to recover himself by a return of compliments.
"Well," he laughed, "for that matter there are none so many like thyself in the world. I wonder what thy name is?"
The girl flushed with pleasure at the compliment, and answered his question without reserve.
"I am Miskodeed."
"The Beauty of the Spring! Then thou art well-named, little sister!"
The girl flushed with pleasure. The flame that had leapt in her dark eyes at their first meeting burned once more, and where, but for an interruption, the conversation would have drifted can only be conjectured. But at that precise moment the tall Indian called to her.
"Miskodeed."
The girl moved swiftly to him and with a gesture that was almost royal the Indian pointed to a pile of trade goods heaped upon the long counter. The girl gathered as much as was possible in her arms, and staggered with her load from the store, and as Factor Rodwell nodded to him, Hubert Stane moved up the counter, and began to give his order. The factor wrote it down without comment, glancing at his customer from time to time with shrewd appraising eyes, and when Stane had paid for the goods which were to be ready before noon, he asked a question.
"New to the district, aren't you?"
"I wintered here," replied Stane briefly.
"Then you did no trapping," said the factor with a laugh, "or you'd have brought your pelts in. I guess you must be prospecting?"
"I have done a little," agreed Stane, a touch of reserve in his manner.
"A lonely job!" commented the factor.
"Yes," was Stane's reply, then he nodded and turned towards the door.
The factor watched him go with frowning eyes, then turned to his assistant.
"Not a very sociable sort, hey, Donald?"
The assistant grinned, and shook his head. "Tongue-tied, I guess."
"I wonder where he has his location."
"Somewhere North!" answered Donald. "He came upstream, I saw him."
The factor said no more to him, but passed out of the store towards the warehouse. As he did so he caught sight of