dogs outside.

"To-morrow, if you are stronger, we're going to take you on to
Kenegami House," the girl said to him. "Then you can tell me all about
your adventures during the winter. Wabi has told me just enough about
your battles with the Indians and about the old skeletons and the lost
gold-mine to set me wild. Oh, I wish you would take me with you on
your hunt for gold!"

"By George, I wish we could!" exclaimed Rod with enthusiasm. "Coax
Wabi, Minnetaki--coax him hard."

"You'll coax him, too, won't you, Rod? But then, I don't suppose it
will do any good. And father and mother wouldn't listen to it for a
moment. All of them are so afraid that some harm is going to befall
me. That's why they sent me from Wabinosh House just before you boys
returned. You see the Indians were more hostile than ever, and they
thought I would be safer at Kenegami House. How I do wish they'd let
me go! I'd love to hunt bears, and wolves, and moose, and help you
find the gold. Please coax him hard, Roderick!"

And that very day, when he was strong enough to sit up, Rod did plead
with his half-Indian comrade that Minnetaki might be allowed to
accompany them. But Wabi stanchly refused even to consider the
proposition, and Mukoki, when he learned of the girl's desire, grinned
and chuckled in his astonishment for the next half-hour.

"Minnetaki ver' brave--ver' brave girl," he confided to Rod, "but she
die up there, I guess so! You want Minnetaki die?"

Rod assured him that he did not, and the subject was dropped.

That day and night in the old cabin was one of the pleasantest within
Rod's memory, despite the youth's wound. A cheerful fire of dry pine
and poplar burned in the stone fireplace, and when Minnetaki announced
that the evening meal was ready Rod was for the first time allowed to
leave his bunk. For the greater part of the day Wabi and Mukoki had
searched in the chasm and along the mountains for signs of the outlaw
Indian's band, but their search had revealed nothing to arouse their
fears. As mysterious and unaccountable as the fact seemed, there
was no doubt that the old cabin was a retreat known only to Woonga
himself, and as the four sat in the warm glow of the fire, eating and
drinking, the whole adventure was gone over again and again until
there seemed no part of it left in doubt. Minnetaki described her
capture and explained the slowness of their flight after the massacre.
Woonga was ill and had refused to move far fro