e
she looked at Rod and smiled, and he in making a polite effort to lift
his cap in civilized style, lost that article of apparel in a sudden
gust of wind. In an instant there was a general laugh of merriment in
which even the old Indian joined. The little incident did more toward
making comradeship than anything else that might have happened, and
laughing again into Rod's face Minnetaki urged her canoe toward the
floating cap.

"You shouldn't wear such things until it gets cold," she said, after
retrieving the cap and handing it to him. "Wabi does--but I don't!"

"Then I won't," replied Rod gallantly, and at Wabi's burst of laughter
both blushed.

That first night at the Post Rod found that Wabi had already made all
plans for the winter's hunting, and the white youth's complete equipment
was awaiting him in the room assigned to him in the factor's house--a
deadly looking five-shot Remington, similar to Wabi's, a long-barreled,
heavy-caliber revolver, snow-shoes, and a dozen other articles necessary
to one about to set out upon a long expedition in the wilderness. Wabi
had also mapped out their hunting-grounds. Wolves in the immediate
neighborhood of the Post, where they were being constantly sought by the
Indians and the factor's men, had become exceedingly cautious and were
not numerous, but in the almost untraveled wilderness a hundred miles to
the north and east they were literally overrunning the country, killing
moose, caribou and deer in great numbers.

In this region Wabi planned to make their winter quarters. And no time
was to be lost in taking up the trail, for the log house in which they
would pass the bitterly cold months should be built before the heavy
snows set in. It was therefore decided that the young hunters should
start within a week, accompanied by Mukoki, the old Indian, a cousin of
the slain Wabigoon, whom Wabi had given the nickname of Muky and who had
been a faithful comrade to him from his earliest childhood.

Rod made the most of the six days which were allotted to him at the
Post, and while Wabi helped to handle the affairs of the Company's store
during a short absence of his father at Port Arthur, the lovely little
Minnetaki gave our hero his first lessons in woodcraft. In canoe, with
the rifle, and in reading the signs of forest life Wabi's sister
awakened constantly increasing admiration in Rod. To see her bending
over some freshly made trail, her cheeks flushed, her eyes sparkling