membered she had felt almost jealous.

"I will give you some odds," cried Jeanne. "I will not start until you
have reached the pole of the roses."

"No! no! no!" they shouted. "Girls cannot run at the end of the race.
There we will win," and they laughed gayly.

They were fleet as deer. Jeanne did not mean to outstrip them, but she
was seized with enthusiasm. It was as if she had wings to her feet and
they would not lag, even if the head desired it. She was breathless,
with flying hair and brilliant color, as she reached the goal and turned
to see two brave but disappointed faces.

"I told you it was not fair," she began. "I am larger than you, taller
and older. You should have had odds."

"But we can always beat Berthe Loudac, and she is almost as big as you.
And some of the Indian boys."

"Let us try it again. Now I will give you to the larch tree."

They started off, looking back when they reached that point and saw her
come flying. She was not so eager now and held back toward the last.
Gaston came in with a shout of triumph and in two seconds Robert was at
the goal. She laughed joyously. Their mother leaning over a railing
laughed also and waved her handkerchief as they both glanced up.

"How old are you?" asked Robert.

"Almost sixteen, I believe."

"And we are eight."

"That is twice as old."

"And when we are sixteen we will run twice as fast, faster than the
Indians. We shall win the races. We are going up North then. Don't you
want to go?"

Jeanne shook her head.

"But then girls do not go fur hunting. Only the squaws follow, to make
the fires and cook the meals. And you would be too pretty for a squaw.
You must be a lady like maman, and have plenty of servants. Oh, we will
ask father to bring you a husband as strong and nice and big as he is!
And then he will build you a lodge here. No one can have such a splendid
house as maman; he once said so."

"Come down to the palisade."

They ran down together. The inhabitants of the cottages and lodges
looked out after them, they were so gay and full of frolic. The gate was
open and Robert peered out. Jeanne took a step forward. She was anxious
to see what was beyond.

"Don't." Gaston put out his arm to bar her. "We promised never to go
outside without permission. Only a coward or a thief tells lies and
breaks his word. If we could find Loudac."

Loudac had gone over to Manitou. The dame had been baking some brown
bread with spice seeds in it,