g. An instinct in her own breast told her
the old man was right, but it was hard to resign herself to an
extended campaign. Spring was in the air, and her need to escape from
the Fish-Eaters great.

"All right," she agreed sullenly at last.

"How you goin' pick out best man of the five?" asked Musq'oosis slyly.

"I tak' the strongest man," she answered promptly.

He shook his head in his exasperating way. "How you goin' know the
strongest?"

"Who carries the biggest pack," she said, surprised at such a foolish
question.

Musq'oosis's head still wagged. "Red man carry bigger pack than white
man," he said oracularly. "Red man's arm and his leg and his back
strong as white man. But white man is the master. Why is that?"

She had no answer.

"I tell you," he went on. "Who is the best man in this country?"

"Bishop Lajeunesse," she replied unhesitatingly.

"It is the truth," he agreed. "But Bishop Lajeunesse little skinny
man. Can't carry big pack at all. Why is he the best man?"

This was too much of a poser for Bela. "I don't want marry him," she
muttered.

"I tell you," said Musq'oosis sternly. "Listen well. You are a foolish
woman. Bishop Lajeunesse is the bes' man for cause no ot'er man can
look him down. White men stronger than red men for cause they got
stronger fire in their eyes. So I tell you when you choose a 'osban',
tak' a man with a strong eye."

The girl looked at him startled. This was a new thought.

Musq'oosis, having made his point, relaxed his stern port. "To-morrow
if the sun shine we cross the lake," he said amiably. "While we paddle
I tell you many more things. We pass by Nine-Mile Point lak we goin'
somewhere else. Not let on we thinkin' of them at all. They will call
us ashore, and we stay jus' little while. You mus' look at them at
all. You do everyt'ing I say, I get you good 'osban'."

"Bishop Lajeunesse coming up the river soon," suggested Bela. "Will
you get me 'osban' for him marry? I lak marry by Bishop Lajeunesse."

"Foolish woman!" repeated Musq'oosis. "How do I know? A great work
takes time!"

Bela pouted.

Musq'oosis rose stiffly to his feet. "I give you somesing," he said.

Shuffling inside the teepee, he presently reappeared with a little
bundle wrapped in folds of dressed moose hide. Sitting calm he undid
it deliberately. A pearl-handled revolver was revealed to Bela's eager
eyes.

"The white man's short gun," he said. "Your fat'er gave it long tam
ago. I keep