nness
always acts like they felt the hell fire sizzlin' their hind-end
whiskers, an' knowed they had jest so many minutes to live an' make a
record. There's where a man's smart that fixes things so he kin hold out
a long time, fer the good stuff in men's minds is what lasts; and the
feller what can stay with it hez proved hisself by stayin'. How'd ye
happen to tie up with the Injun, Rolf?"

"Do ye want me to tell it long or short?" was the reply. "Wall, short,
fer a start," and Silas Sylvanne chuckled.

So Rolf gave a very brief account of his early life.

"Pretty good," said the miller; "now let's hear it long."

And when he had finished, the miller said: "I've seen yer tried fer most
everything that goes to make a man, Rolf, an' I hev my own notion of the
results. You ain't goin' to live ferever in them hills. When ye've hed
yer fling an' want a change, let me know."

Early next day the two hunters paddled up the Moose River with a good
canoe, an outfit of groceries, and a small supply of ready cash.

"Good-bye, lad, good-bye! Come back again and ye'll find we improve on
acquaintance; an' don't forget I'm buying fur," was Si Sylvanne's last
word. And as they rounded the point, on the home way, Rolf turned in
the canoe, faced Quonab, and said: "Ye see there are some good white men
left;" but the Indian neither blinked, nor moved, nor made a sound.

Chapter 48. Rolf's Lesson in Trailing

The return journey was hard paddling against strong waters, but
otherwise uneventful. Once over any trail is enough to fix it in the
memory of a woodman. They made no mistakes and their loads were light,
so the portages were scarcely any loss of time, and in two days they
were back at Hoag's cabin.

Of this they took possession. First, they gathered all things of value,
and that was little since the furs and bedding were gone, but there were
a few traps and some dishes. The stuff was made in two packs; now it
was an overland journey, so the canoe was hidden in a cedar thicket,
a quarter of a mile inland. The two were about to shoulder the packs,
Quonab was lighting his pipe for a start, when Rolf said:

"Say, Quonab! that fellow we saw at the Falls claimed to be Hoag's
partner. He may come on here and make trouble if we don't head him off.
Let's burn her," and he nodded toward the shanty.

"Ugh!" was the reply.

They gathered some dry brush and a lot of birch bark, piled them up
against the wall inside, and threw plent