hey sailed
away.

"When she did not come back I took Wee-wees on my shoulder and went
quickly to Stamford. I soon found out a little, but the people did not
know the ship, or whence she came, or where she went, they said. They
did not seem to care. My heart grew hotter and wilder. I wanted to
fight. I would have killed the men on the dock, but they were many. They
bound me and put me in jail for three months. 'When I came out Wee-wees
was dead. They did not care. I have heard nothing since. Then I went to
live under the rock, so I should not see our first home. I do not know;
she may be alive. But I think it killed her to lose her baby."

The Indian stopped; then rose quickly. His face was hard set. He stepped
out into the snowstorm and the night. Rolf was left alone with Skookum.

Sad, sad, everything seemed sad in his friend's life, and Rolf, brooding
over it with wisdom beyond his years, could not help asking: "Had Quonab
and Gamowini been white folk, would it have happened so? Would his agony
have been received with scornful indifference?" Alas! he knew it would
not. He realized it would have been a very different tale, and the
sequent questions that would not down, were, "Will this bread cast
on the waters return after many days?" "Is there a God of justice and
retribution?" "On whom will the flail of vengeance fall for all these
abominations?"

Two hours later the Indian returned. No word was spoken as he entered.
He was not cold. He must have walked far. Rolf prepared for bed. The
Indian stooped, picked up a needle from the dusty ground, one that had
been lost the day before, silently handed it to his companion, who gave
only a recognizant "Hm," and dropped it into the birch-bark box.

Chapter 44. The Lost Bundle of Furs

There had been a significant cessation of robbery on their trap line
after the inconclusive visit to the enemy's camp. But a new and extreme
exasperation arose in the month of March, when the alternation of thaw
and frost had covered the snow with a hard crust that rendered snowshoes
unnecessary and made it easy to run anywhere and leave no track.

They had gathered up a fisher and some martens before they reached the
beaver pond. They had no beaver traps now, but it was interesting to
call and see how many of the beavers were left, and what they were
doing.

Bubbling springs on the bank of the pond had made open water at several
places, now that the winter frost was weakening. Out