o the two, "is of my people. He returns to them. I
go with him."

The Chippewa twisted his feet into his snow-shoes, nodded to the white
men, and swung away on the back trail in the direction whence our
travellers had come. The girl, without more leave-taking, followed close
at his back. For an instant the crunch of shoes splintered the frosty
air. Then they rounded a bend. Silence fell swift as a hawk.

"Well, I'll be damned!" ejaculated Dick at last. "Do you think he was
really up here visiting?"

"No, of course not," replied Sam. "Don't you see--"

"Then he came after the girl?"

"Good God, _no!_" answered Sam. "He--"

"Then he was after me," interrupted Dick again with growing excitement.
"Why didn't you let me shoot him, Sam--"

"Will you shut up and listen to me?" demanded the old man, impatiently.
"If he'd wanted you, he'd have got you when you were hurt last summer;
and if he'd wanted the girl, he'd have got her then, too. It's all clear
to me. He _has_ been visiting a friend,--perhaps his brother, as he
said,--and he did spend less than three days in the visit. What did he
come for? Let me tell you! That friend, or brother, is Jingoss, and he
came up here to warn him that we're after him. The Chippewa suspected us
a little on the Missinaibie, but he wasn't sure. Probably he's had his
eye on us ever since."

"But why didn't he warn this Jingoss long ago, then?" objected Dick.

"Because we fooled him, just as we fooled all the Injuns. We _might_ be
looking for winter posts, just as we said. And then if he came up here
and told Jingoss we were after him, when really we didn't know beans
about Jingoss and his steals, and then this Jingoss should skip the
country and leave an almighty good fur district all for nothing, that
would be a nice healthy favour to do for a man, wouldn't it! No, he had
to be _sure_ before he made any moves. And he didn't get to be sure
until he heard somehow from some one who saw our trails that three
people were travelling in the winter up through this country. Then he
piked out to warn Jingoss."

"I believe you're right!" cried Dick.

"Of course I'm right. And another thing; if that's the case we're pretty
close there. How many more trappers are there in this district? Just
one! And since this Chippewa is going back on his back trail within
three days after he made it, he couldn't have gone farther than that one
man. And that one man must be--"

"Jingoss himself!" finished