an experienced mother of many to know how to
handle things.

"I have made strong soup vid moose-meat," she told them. "Heem do
Monsieur Hugo moch good. I put on de stove now an' get hot."

She spoke confidently, just as usual, as if nothing out of the
ordinary were going on in the shack, but it was a transparent effort
to encourage the others, and she was not able to keep it up long. She
happened to look at Hugo again, and suddenly her face fell and her
hands went up, while she buried her face in her blue apron and sobbed
right out.

"De good Lord Heem bring an' de good Lord Heem take away," was what
she said, and it sounded like a knell in the ears of the others.

Since the light was beginning to fail Madge lit the little lamp. Mrs.
Papineau took some of the soup out of the pot and stirred it with a
spoon to cool it, and then she lifted the sick man's head. Her voice
became soft and caressing, as if she had spoken to a child.

"My leetle Hugo," she said, "dere's a good fellar. Try an' drink, jus'
one bit. H'open mouth, dat way. Now you swallow, dere's good boy. An'
now you try heem again, jus' one more spoon. H'it is awful good, from
de big moose what Philippe he get. Jus' one more spoon an' I not
bodder you no more."

Whether Hugo understood or not no one could have told. At any rate,
with infinite patience, she was able to feed him a little, until he
finally pushed her hand away from him.

Stefan, whose back had been resting on the door and whose arms had
been hanging dejectedly at his side, took a step towards the girl.

"Ay go down de road a bit an' meet Papineau if he come back," he
proposed. "If de togs is tired I take de doctor on my toboggan. Get
back qvicker dat vay. So long! I comes back soon anyvays, sure."

He started away at a swift pace, his strong dogs, amply rested,
barking and throwing themselves hard upon the breastpieces of their
harness. After he was out of hearing the two women sat very close
together, for mutual comfort and consolation, and the older one began
to speak in a low whisper.

"You very lucky, mademoiselle. It ees lucky it ain't you h'own man as
lie dere an' you haf to see heem like dat. It is turriple ting to see.
One time Papineau heem get h'awful seek, an' I watch him five--no, six
day and de nights. An' it vos back in de Grand Nord, no doctor nor
noding at all. An' me wid my little Justine jus' two month ole in my
h'arms. An' den come de day ven de good Lord Heem 'ear 'o