rprise; he say this one different from
the ot'ers."

"Oh, I know how it is with most fellows!" admitted Sam. "Not with me.
I've had my lesson."

"Maybe," agreed Musq'oosis, politely allowing the matter to drop.

By and by the old man yawned. "I t'ink I sleep little while," he said.
"Can I sleep by your fire?"

"Sure!" returned Sam. "Make yourself at home."

Musq'oosis brought his blanket from the dugout. "You goin' sleep,
too?" he asked.

"In a bit," replied Sam uneasily.

"Where your blanket?"

"Oh, I lost that, too," confessed Sam, blushing.

"I got a rabbit-skin robe," said Musq'oosis.

Returning to his boat, he brought Sam one of the soft, light coverings
peculiar to the country. The foundation was a wide-meshed net of cord,
to which had been tied hundreds of the fragile, downy pelts. Sam could
stick his finger anywhere through the interstices, yet it was warmer
than a blanket, double its weight.

"But this is valuable," protested Sam. "I can't take it."

"You goin' to the head of the lake," said Musq'oosis. "I want trade it
at French outfit store. Tak' it to Mahwoolee, the trader. Say to him
Musq'oosis send it for trade."

"Aren't you afraid I might steal it?" asked Sam curiously.

"Steal?" said the old man, surprised. "Nobody steal here. What's the
use? Everything is known. If a man steal everybody know it. Where he
goin' to go then?"

Sam continued to protest against using the robe, but Musq'oosis,
waving his objections aside, calmly lay down in his blanket and closed
his eyes. Sam presently followed suit. The rabbit-skin robe acted like
a charm. A delicious warmth crept into his weary bones, and sleep
overmastered his senses like a delicious perfume.

When he awoke the sun was high over the lake, and Musq'oosis had gone.
A bag of tobacco was lying in his place.

* * * * *

At this era the "settlement" at the head of Caribou Lake consisted of
the "French outfit," the "company post," the French Mission, the
English Mission, and the police barracks, which last housed as many as
three troopers.

These various establishments were strung around the shore of Beaver
Bay for a distance of several miles. A few native shacks were attached
to each. The principal group of buildings was comprised in the company
post, which stood on a hill overlooking the bay, and still wore a
military air, though the palisades had been torn down these many
years.

The French outfit, t