ight, monsieur. And I meant only this,--I will
try not to be an irritation. You will try not to think of me as such.
You agree?"

I smiled again. "Yes. Partners for the night," I reminded him. "I am
gratified, Monsieur Starling, that you see the matter so reasonably.
There is a gulf between us, and we cannot change it." We did not speak
again till we reached Pierre at the shore.

CHAPTER IX

WESTWARD

Where were the pursuing Indians? For two days we watched, and the
water was unflecked by sign of life. We listened in the murk of night
and strained our eyes in the sun's dazzle. But we found nothing but
forest and sky and mystery. We were alone with our shadows.

The forty-eight hours crawled. Except at noonday we were chilled, our
stomachs complained of the cold food, and our minds, and therefore our
bodies, were sluggish. The Englishman had the best of it, for he could
sleep like a bear in winter. Save for the hours when he was on watch
he knew but little of what was passing. He lay on the warm side of the
bank and slept with his face to the sun.

At the end of two days I felt that I had paid all reasonable due to
Prudence, and could follow Inclination and be comfortable.

"We shall push on at daybreak to-morrow," I told the men. "Hang the
kettles. To-night we shall have a boiling pot."

Truly a fire makes home of a wilderness. We sat with our heels to the
blaze, and grew jovial. The Englishman said little, but was alert to
serve us.

"It is salt to the broth to have it given me by a pretty squaw," I told
him as he filled my bowl a second time.

He flushed with anger, and I thought myself that it was a cheap jest
and unworthy. He had been considerate to wear his disguise without
complaint.

"I shall find something for you to wear when we shift our cargo to
leave," I promised him, and since my mood was still mellow, I looked
him over with a smile. He had smoothed and rounded in a wonderful
manner in his two days of rest, and I was pleased by the red in his
cheeks. "You will soon be a second Pierre if you sleep and eat in this
fashion," I laughed at him, "and then there will be no room for you in
the canoe. If all your countrymen sleep as you do, it is small wonder
that they have left us undisturbed in the beaver lands."

He smiled a little in deference to my small jest, but the next instant
he looked away. "I had not slept in weeks," he said softly, as if
ashamed of his excuse