length of one year at Fort de Seviere
on the Assiniboine River,--Prix Laroux and wife Ninette, Pierre and Cif
Bordoux and their wives Anon and Micene, Franz LeClede and wife Mora,
Henri Baptiste and wife Marie, and Maren Le Moyne, an unmarried woman
and sister to Marie Baptiste."

A sudden little light flamed for a moment in the young factor's blue
eyes.

For some unknown reason it had pleased him, that last ingenious
sentence.

"Prix Laroux," he said, turning to his new acquisition, "we will get to
the work of our contract."

CHAPTER II THE SPRING

Springtime lay over the vast region of lake and forest. Along the
shores of the little rivers the new grass was springing, and in nook and
sheltered corner of rock and depression shy white flowers lifted their
pretty heads to the coaxing sun. Deep in the budding woods birds in
flocks and bevies called across the wilderness of tender green, while at
the post the youths sang snatches of wild French songs and all the world
felt the thirst of the new life.

A somewhat hard winter it had been, long and cold, with crackling frost
of nights and the snow piled deep around the stockade, and the gracious
release was very welcome.

The somewhat fickle stream of the Assiniboine had loosed its locks of
ice and rolled and gurgled, full to its low banks, as if the late summer
would not see it shrunk to a lazy thread, refusing sometimes even the
shallow canoes and barely licking the parched lips of the land.

In gay attire the maids of De Seviere ventured beyond the gates to stray
a little way into the forest and come back laden with tiny green sprays
of the golden trailer, with wee white blossoms and now and again a great
swelling bud of the gorgeous purple flower of the death plant.

"Bien! It is of a drollness, mes cheries," laughed Tessa Bibye one day,
stopping at the cabin by the south wall; "how Francette does but sit in
the shade and nurse that half-dead wolf. Is it by chance because of the
owner, or that hand which carried it here, Francette? Look for the man
behind Francette's devotion ever!"

Whereat there was a laugh and crinkling of pretty dark eyes at the
little maid's expense, but she sprang to her feet and faced her mates in
anger.

"Begone, you Tessa Bibye!" she cried hotly; "'tis little you know beyond
the thought of a man truly, and that because you have lacked one from
the cradle!"

Tessa flushed and drew away, vanquished. Merry laughter, turned as
r