his
heels. He filled a pipe, scraping the tobacco from the square plug Sam
extended to him. While he did this, and while he stuffed it into the
bowl, his keen eyes shifted here and there, gathering the material for
conclusions.

Sam, watchful but also silent, could almost follow his mental processes.
The canoe meant travel, the meagreness of the outfits either rapid or
short travel, the two steel traps travel beyond the sources of supply.
Then inspection passed lightly over the girl and from her to the younger
man. With a flash of illumination Sam Bolton saw how valuable in
allaying suspicion this evidence of a peaceful errand might prove to be.
Men did not bring their women on important missions involving speed and
danger.

Abruptly the Indian spoke, going directly to the heart of the matter,
after the Indian fashion.

"Where you from?"

"Winnipeg," replied Sam, naming the headquarters of the Company.

The direction of travel was toward Winnipeg. Sam was perfectly aware of
the discrepancy, but he knew better than to offer gratuitous
explanation. The Indian smoked.

"Where you come from now?" he inquired, finally.

"Tschi-gammi[5]."

[Footnote 5: Lake Superior.]

This was understandable. Remained only the object of an expedition of
this peculiar character. Sam Bolton knew that the Indian would satisfy
himself by surmises,--he would never apply the direct question to a
man's affairs,--and surmise might come dangerously near the truth. So he
proceeded to impart a little information in his own way.

"You are the hunter of this district?" Sam asked.

"Yes."

"How far do you trap?"

The Indian mentioned creeks and rivers as his boundaries.

"Where do you get your debt?"

"Missinaibi."

"That is a long trail."

"Yes."

"Do many take it each year?"

The Indian mentioned rapidly a dozen names of families.

Sam at once took another tack.

"I do not know this country. Are there large lakes?"

"There is Animiki."

"Has it fish? Good wood?"

"Much wood. Oga[6], kinoj[7]."

[Footnote 6: Pickerel.]

[Footnote 7: Pike.]

Sam paused.

"Could a _brigade_ of canoes reach it easily?" he inquired.

Now a _brigade_ is distinctly an institution of the Honourable the
Hudson's Bay Company. It is used for two purposes; to maintain
communication with the outside world, and to establish winter camps in
the autumn or to break them up in the spring. At once the situation
became clear. A gleam of comprehens