ped out at the man who had surely come for her, at the
husband who was to teach her all that was yet unlearned of life, at the
masterful being whose word was to be her law, and who was to mete and
bound her actions and comportment for the rest of her days.

But, peeping through the front flap of the lodge, flushed and thrilling
at the strange destiny reaching out for her, she grew disappointed as the
day wore along, and the Factor and her father still talked pompously of
matters concerning other things and not pertaining to marriage things at
all. As the sun sank lower and lower toward the north and midnight
approached, the Factor began making unmistakable preparations for
departure. As he turned to stride away Lit-lit's heart sank; but it rose
again as he halted, half turning on one heel.

"Oh, by the way, Snettishane," he said, "I want a squaw to wash for me
and mend my clothes."

Snettishane grunted and suggested Wanidani, who was an old woman and
toothless.

"No, no," interposed the Factor. "What I want is a wife. I've been kind
of thinking about it, and the thought just struck me that you might know
of some one that would suit."

Snettishane looked interested, whereupon the Factor retraced his steps,
casually and carelessly to linger and discuss this new and incidental
topic.

"Kattou?" suggested Snettishane.

"She has but one eye," objected the Factor.

"Laska?"

"Her knees be wide apart when she stands upright. Kips, your biggest
dog, can leap between her knees when she stands upright."

"Senatee?" went on the imperturbable Snettishane.

But John Fox feigned anger, crying: "What foolishness is this? Am I old,
that thou shouldst mate me with old women? Am I toothless? lame of leg?
blind of eye? Or am I poor that no bright-eyed maiden may look with
favour upon me? Behold! I am the Factor, both rich and great, a power
in the land, whose speech makes men tremble and is obeyed!"

Snettishane was inwardly pleased, though his sphinx-like visage never
relaxed. He was drawing the Factor, and making him break ground. Being
a creature so elemental as to have room for but one idea at a time,
Snettishane could pursue that one idea a greater distance than could John
Fox. For John Fox, elemental as he was, was still complex enough to
entertain several glimmering ideas at a time, which debarred him from
pursuing the one as single-heartedly or as far as did the chief.

Snettishane calmly continued cal