ccepting the offer," the boy said to himself. "I would be
perfectly willing to receive a loan from Master Leavitt, who has never
shown half the friendship for me this red man has."

Sewatis watched him intently, and finally pushed the bag nearer.

"Yes, I will take it," Walter said, decidedly. "It is only to be
loaned, and until I can pay it back you shall have half the profits of
the business."

Sewatis nodded in approbation.

"And you are to stay here with me?"

"All time; now I call Injuns."

Walter was wholly at a loss to understand the meaning of this remark
until Sewatis rose to his feet, uttering a cry that might well have
been mistaken for a night-owl.

In response to it, half a dozen red men, each carrying a burden, came
out from among the trees, and depositing their heavy loads in the
lean-to, seated themselves before the fire in silence.

Sewatis motioned for Walter to look at that which had been brought, and
while the latter wonderingly obeyed, he cut from the haunch of venison
a sufficient number of steaks to serve as a hearty meal for the
new-comers.

The boy's surprise may be imagined when he discovered that each of the
packages was made up of furs, and he understood that the value of the
whole lot greatly exceeded the amount of money in the bag.

"Big mill," Sewatis said, in a tone of satisfaction, and then he turned
his attention to his followers, leaving Walter to speculate upon the
good fortune which had come to him so unexpectedly.

The Indians remained in camp during that night, and at daybreak, after
a breakfast of venison, all save Sewatis departed.

Never before had Walter worked as he did on the day succeeding the
Indian's return. It was a perfect fever of industry, superinduced by
the knowledge that there was now nothing to prevent the consummation of
his desires save that which could be done by hands.

His companion appeared as before the coming of Jim Albert, with a
single exception, and that was at the close of the fatiguing day's
work, when he pointed to a slight elevation overlooking the site of the
proposed mill, and said, quietly,--

"Sewatis build house there."

"So you shall, and between the two of us I reckon we can run the
business as it should be."

Two days more the boy and his friend worked during every moment of
daylight, and then came Stephen Kidder.

"Master McCleary is just behind me," he cried, before Walter could
greet him.

"Master McCleary! Why has