t his tongue in the immemorial Latin style. Though
he was the father of four strapping sons and several marriageable
girls, not to speak of the smaller fry, time had left surprisingly few
marks on him.

Johnny held up his hands at the sight of Sam, bound. He was delighted
to have this additional excitement added to his brimming store.

"Wa! a prisoner!" he cried. "Good! we will have a trial. You must tell
me all. You come back just right. Big tam! Big tam! Never was so much
fun in my house before!"

"What's up?" asked Jack.

"Big crowd comin' to-morrow!" replied the excited Johnny Gagnon.
"Trackin' up rapids to-day. Send a fellow up ahead ask my wife bake
plenty bread."

"Who all is it?"

Johnny counted them off on his fingers: "Bishop Lajeunesse and two
priests. Every year come to marry and baptize. That's three. Four,
Indian agent. Him come pay Indians gov'ment money by the treaty. Got
big bag money. Five, gov'ment doctor. He look at him for sick. It is
in the treaty. Six, seven, Sergeant Coulson and 'not'er policeman.
They go round wit' agent and ask all if any man do wrong to him. That
is seven white men comin'! But wait! But wait! There is something else
beside!"

"What?" asked Jack.

"A white woman!" announced Johnny triumphantly.

Bela frowned and stole a side glance at Sam. The men having lately
come from the land of white women were not especially impressed.

"Only one white woman here before," Johnny went on. "Her comp'ny
trader's wife. This her sister. Call Mees Mackall. Her old, but got no
'osban' at all. That is fonny thing I t'ink. Boys say all tam talk,
laugh, nod head. Call her chicadee-woman."

Bela looked relieved at this description.

Sam, hearing of the expected company, smiled. Surely, with the law and
the church at hand, an honest man had nothing to fear. He glanced at
Bela a little triumphantly, but she made her face inscrutable to him.

Somewhat to his surprise he perceived that Jack and the other men were
also pleased at the news. There was something here he did not
understand.

CHAPTER XIV

AT JOHNNY GAGNON'S

Sam, tied hand and foot, was confined in the bunk-house at Gagnon's.
All the heavy hours of his imprisonment were charged up against Bela,
and by morning the score was a heavy one.

Big Jack, or one of the other men, was always in the room or at the
door, and Bela had no opportunity to approach the prisoner.

Bela slept in the main house with the Gagnon gi