cook-stove; against
the right hand wall were tiers of empty shelves; at the back a bedstead
filled with moldy hay; on the left side an empty chest, a table, and a
chair.

Thus it was a combination of store and dwelling; no doubt it had been
built for Gordon Strange's use when he came to trade with the Kakisas.

The window was over the table. Ambrose found it nailed down, besides
being boarded up outside. He had no intention of submitting to the
deprivation of light and air.

He picked up the chair and swinging it delivered a series of blows that
shattered the glass, cracked the frame, and finally drove out the boards.
He found himself looking into the impassive faces of his jailers.

They did not even seem surprised, and made no demonstration against him.
Ambrose whistled. Job came running and scrambled over the window-sill
into his master's arms.

Later one of the Indians came with strips of moose hide which he pinned
across outside the window. From each strip dangled a row of bells, such
as are fastened to dog-harness. It was cunningly contrived--Ambrose
could not touch one of the strips ever so gently without giving an alarm.

Thereafter, as long as it was light, he could see them loafing and
sleeping in the grass outside with their guns beside them. After dark
their pipe-bowls glowed.

Three days of inexpressible tedium followed. Had it not been for Job,
Ambrose felt he would have gone out of his mind. His window overlooked
the teepee village, and his sole distraction from his thoughts lay in
watching the Indians at work and play.

His jailers put up a teepee outside the shack. There were never less
than three in sight, generally playing poker--and with their guns beside
them.

Ambrose knowing the inconsequentiality of the Indian mind guessed that
they must have had strong orders to keep them on guard so faithfully.
Any thought of escape was out of the question. He could not travel a
hundred and fifty miles without a store of food. He sought to keep out a
little from every meal that was served him, but he got barely enough for
him and Job, too.

On the fourth day the arrival of the main body of Indians from Fort
Enterprise created a diversion. They came straggling slowly on foot down
the hill to the flat, extreme weariness marked in their heavy gait and
their sagging backs.

Only Watusk rode a horse. Every other beast was requisitioned to carry
the loot from the store. Some of the men--a