e boys had been started off to Seal Cove with a boatload of
goods, and Katherine had tidied away the litter in the store, she
went into the stockroom at the back to spread out the furs in
readiness for the coming of Mr. Selincourt. In an ordinary way she
would have taken them over to Fort Garry to-day, but with the
prospect of a customer they could wait for a more convenient time.

She was still busy spreading out and arranging pelts of black fox,
white fox, silver fox, beaver, skunk, and racoon (there were
wolfskins in plenty, too, but these she did not produce, as they
were commoner, and so would doubtless not appeal to the rich man's
fancy); then she heard a noise of knocking in the store, and,
running out, found that Mr. Selincourt and an Indian had arrived
together.

Neither of them was in the slightest hurry. But Katherine attended
to the red man first, being desirous of getting rid of him, then
watched him down the bank and waited until he had embarked in his
frail canoe before attending to her other and more important
customer.

"Please pardon me for keeping you waiting," she said, turning with
smiling apology to Mr. Selincourt; "but that is Wise Eye from Ochre
Lake, and he is the wiliest thief on the river. Ah, I thought so!
He is coming back again. Quick! stand back in that corner behind
the stove, and you will see some fun."

Mr. Selincourt promptly flattened himself into a small space
between a bag of meal and a barrel of molasses, while Katherine
dived into a recess by the bean bin, and then they waited, holding
their breath as children do when playing hide-and-seek.

It was a good long wait, for Wise Eye was a shrewd rogue. Then Mr.
Selincourt from his corner saw a figure on all-fours coming over
the doorstep. At first he thought it was a dog, because of the
peculiar sniffing sound it made, but a second glance showed it to
be Wise Eye in search of plunder. Gradually, gradually he edged
himself inside, creeping so silently that there was no sound at
all, and a thievish hand had just shot out to annex a bag of rice
that stood within reaching distance, when Katherine emerged into
view and said quietly: "You can't have that rice unless you pay for
it, Wise Eye; we don't give things away."

The red man erected himself with a shocked look, as if insulted by
the bare mention of stealing, and, opening a dirty hand, showed
half a dollar tucked away in his palm.

"Wise Eye not want the rice, nor anyt