ld necessity for blind,
unreasoning patience seemed at an end. He could perceive light ahead,
and so in the absence of any further need for taut spiritual nerves, he
relaxed the strain and strode on more easily. He played more with the
dogs--of which still his favourite was Billy; occasionally he burst into
little snatches of song, and the sound of his whistling was merry in the
air. At length he paused abruptly in his work to fix his quizzical,
narrow gaze on the Indian girl.

"Come, Little Sister," said he, "let us lift the nets."

She looked up at him, a warm glow leaping to her face. This was the
first time he had addressed her by the customary diminutive of
friendship since they had both been members of the Indian camp on the
Missinaibie.

They lifted the net together, and half-filled the canoe with the shining
fish. Dick bore himself with the careless good humour of his earlier
manner. The greater part of the time he seemed unconscious of his
companion's presence, but genuinely unconscious, not with the
deliberate affront of a pretended indifference. Under even this negative
good treatment the girl expanded with an almost luxuriant gratitude. Her
face lost its stoical mask of imperturbability, and much of her former
arch beauty returned. The young man was blind to these things, for he
was in reality profoundly indifferent to the girl, and his abrupt change
of manner could in no way be ascribed to any change in his feeling for
her. It was merely the reflex of his inner mood, and that sprang solely
from joy over the permission he had given himself again to contemplate
taking the Long Trail.

But Sam Bolton, returning that very day from his own long journey, saw
at once the alteration in May-may-gwan, and was troubled over it. He
came into camp by the river way where the moss and spruce-needles
silenced his footsteps, so he approached unnoticed. The girl bent over
the fire. A strong glow from the flames showed the stronger glow
illuminating her face from within. She hummed softly a song of the
Ojibway language:

"Mong-o doog-win
Nin dinaindoon--"
"Loon's wing I thought it was
In the distance shining.
But it was my lover's paddle
In the distance shining."

Then she looked up and saw him.

"Little Father!" she cried, pleased.

At the same moment Dick caught sight of the new-comer and hobbled out of
the wigwam.

"Hello, you old snoozer!" he shouted. "We began to think you