feast, and, midnight being well at hand, the Factor
sought her out and led her away to the Fort amid joking and outcry, in
which the squaws were especially conspicuous.

Lit-lit quickly found that married life with the head-man of a fort was
even better than she had dreamed. No longer did she have to fetch wood
and water and wait hand and foot upon cantankerous menfolk. For the
first time in her life she could lie abed till breakfast was on the
table. And what a bed!--clean and soft, and comfortable as no bed she
had ever known. And such food! Flour, cooked into biscuits, hot-cakes
and bread, three times a day and every day, and all one wanted! Such
prodigality was hardly believable.

To add to her contentment, the Factor was cunningly kind. He had buried
one wife, and he knew how to drive with a slack rein that went firm only
on occasion, and then went very firm. "Lit-lit is boss of this place,"
he announced significantly at the table the morning after the wedding.
"What she says goes. Understand?" And McLean and McTavish understood.
Also, they knew that the Factor had a heavy hand.

But Lit-lit did not take advantage. Taking a leaf from the book of her
husband, she at once assumed charge of his own growing sons, giving them
added comforts and a measure of freedom like to that which he gave her.
The two sons were loud in the praise of their new mother; McLean and
McTavish lifted their voices; and the Factor bragged of the joys of
matrimony till the story of her good behaviour and her husband's
satisfaction became the property of all the dwellers in the Sin Rock
district.

Whereupon Snettishane, with visions of his incalculable interest keeping
him awake of nights, thought it time to bestir himself. On the tenth
night of her wedded life Lit-lit was awakened by the croaking of a raven,
and she knew that Snettishane was waiting for her by the river bank. In
her great happiness she had forgotten her pact, and now it came back to
her with behind it all the childish terror of her father. For a time she
lay in fear and trembling, loath to go, afraid to stay. But in the end
the Factor won the silent victory, and his kindness plus his great
muscles and square jaw, nerved her to disregard Snettishane's call.

But in the morning she arose very much afraid, and went about her duties
in momentary fear of her father's coming. As the day wore along,
however, she began to recover her spirits. John Fox, soundly ber