f mine. Now begone.
Gather the men, go to the canoes, and wait there till I come. I may
come soon; I may not come till morning."

Pierre was still swelling. "As the master wishes," he said, with his
eyes down; but I thought that he hesitated, and I called him to me.

"Pierre," I said, "do you want to be sent back to Montreal, and have
Francois Labarthe put in your place?"

The giant looked up to see how much I was in earnest, and, as I
returned his look, all his bravado oozed away. It does not seem quite
the part of a man to cow a subordinate till he looks at you with the
eyes of a whipped hound; but it was the only method to use with Pierre,
and I went away satisfied.

I turned my steps toward the main camp of Ottawas, and there I idled
for an hour. The braves were good-humored with me, for I was a trader,
not an officer, and their noses were keen for the brandy that I might
have for barter. So that I was free to watch them at their gambling,
or dip my ladle in their kettles if I willed. All this was good, but
it went no further. With all my artifices, I could not make my way
into the great circle around the camp fire, and I grew sore with my
incapacity, for I saw that Longuant, the most powerful chief of the
Ottawas, was speaking. I picked up a bone and threw it among the dogs
with an oath for my own slowness.

The bone was greasy, and I took out my handkerchief, but before I could
use it to wipe my hands, a young squaw pushed her way up to me, and
offered her long black hair as a napkin. She threw the oily length
across my arm, and flattered me in fluent Ottawa.

Then I forgot myself. The body frequently plays traitor in
emergencies, and my repugnance conquered me so that I pushed her away
before I had time to think. Then I knew that I must make amends.

"The beauty of your hair is like the black ice with the moon on it," I
said in Ottawa. "You must not soil it."

She giggled with pleasure to hear me use her own tongue, and would have
come close to me again, but I motioned her away.

"Stay there, and catch this," I called, and I tossed her a small coin.

For all her squat figure and her broad, dull face, she was quick of
action as a weasel. She put her hands behind her, and, thrusting her
head forward, caught the coin in her teeth. It was well done; so well
that I said "Brava," and the braves around me gave approving grunts.

"Look at the stupid Frenchman!" I heard a brave say. "For all hi