s blanket by the cot and slept lightly. Once or twice he
rose to look at Annette. She was moving in her sleep, but did not awake.
He saw to it that the mosquito bar was in place, and slept till morning.

There was no question that the child was better. The renewed interest in
food was the first good symptom, and the partridge served the end of its
creation. The snakeroot and the quinine did noble work, and thenceforth
her recovery was rapid. It was natural for her mother to wish the child
back indoors. It was a matter of course that she should go. It was
accepted as an unavoidable evil that they should always have those brown
crawlers about the bed.

But Rolf felt differently. He knew what his mother would have thought
and done. It meant another visit to Warren's, and the remedy he brought
was a strong-smelling oil, called in those days "rock oil"--a crude
petroleum. When all cracks in the bed and near wall were treated with
this, it greatly mitigated, if it did not quite end, the nuisance of the
"plague that walks in the dark."

Meanwhile, Quonab had made good his welcome by working on the farm. But
when a week had flown, he showed signs of restlessness. "We have enough
money, Nibowaka, why do we stay?"

Rolf was hauling a bucket of water from the well at the time. He stopped
with his burden on the well-sweep, gazed into the well, and said slowly:
"I don't know." If the truth were set forth, it would be that this was
the only home circle he knew. It was the clan feeling that held him, and
soon it was clearly the same reason that was driving Quonab to roam.

"I have heard," said the Indian, "that my people still dwell in Canada,
beyond Rouse's Point. I would see them. I will come again in the Red
Moon (August)."

So they hired a small canoe, and one bright morning, with Skookum in the
bow, Quonab paddled away on his voyage of 120 miles on the plead waters
of Lakes George and Champlain. His canoe became a dark spot on the
water; slowly it faded till only the flashing paddle was seen, and that
was lost around a headland.

The next day Rolf was sorry he let Quonab go alone, for it was evident
that Van Trumper needed no help for a month yet; that is, he could not
afford to hire, and while it was well enough for Rolf to stay a few days
and work to equalize his board, the arrangement would not long continue
satisfactory to both.

Yet there was one thing he must do before leaving, take Annette to pick
out her dress. S