He took the first chance of wispering to Rolf, "Can't you send him away?
I'll be all right with you." Rolf said nothing.

"Say," he continued, "say, young feller, what's yer name?"

"Rolf Kittering."

"Say, Rolf, you wait a week or ten days, and the ice 'll be out; then
I'll be fit to travel. There ain't on'y a few carries between here an'
Lyons Falls."

After a long pause, due to Quonab's entry, he continued again: "Moose
River's good canoeing; ye can get me out in five days; me folks is at
Lyons Falls." He did not say that his folks consisted of a wife and boy
that he neglected, but whom he counted on to nurse him now.

Rolf was puzzled by the situation.

"Say! I'll give ye all them furs if ye git me out." Rolf gave him a
curious look--as much as to say, "Ye mean our furs."

Again the conversation was ended by the entry of Quonab.

Rolf stepped out, taking the Indian with him. They had a long talk,
then, as Rolf reentered, the sick man began:

"You stay by me, and git me out. I'll give ye my rifle"--then, after a
short silence--"an' I'll throw in all the traps an' the canoe."

"I'll stay by you," said Rolf, "and in about two weeks we'll take you
down to Lyons Falls. I guess you can guide us."

"Ye can have all them pelts," and again the trapper presented the spoils
he had stolen, "an' you bet it's your rifle when ye get me out."

So it was arranged. But it was necessary for Quonab to go back to their
own cabin. Now what should he do? Carry the new lot of fur there, or
bring the old lot here to dispose of all at Lyons Falls?

Rolf had been thinking hard. He had seen the evil side of many men,
including Hoag. To go among Hoag's people with a lot of stuff that Hoag
might claim was running risks, so he said:

"Quonab, you come back in not more than ten days. We'll take a few furs
to Lyons Falls so we can get supplies. Leave the rest of them in good
shape, so we can go out later to Warren's. We'll get a square deal
there, and we don't know what at Lyon's."

So they picked out the lynx, the beaver, and a dozen martens to leave,
and making the rest into a pack, Quonab shouldered them, and followed by
Skookum, trudged up the mountain and was lost to view in the woods.

The ten days went by very slowly. Hoag was alternately querulous,
weeping, complaining, unpleasantly fawning, or trying to insure good
attention by presenting again and again the furs, the gun, and the
canoe.

Rolf found it pleasant to g