. And if that isn't enough, I'll make
Puttany strip and stay in the brush while you do his clothes."

Francoise widened her smile.

"I've been thinking we'll have to build you a house right over there."
Her entertainer indicated the shore behind her.

"Oppos'?" exclaimed Francoise, turning with pleased interest. Even in
her husband's lifetime little thought had ever been taken for her.

"Yes, directly opposite. We can fix it up snug like our winter camp at
the other end of the lake."

"Have you two camp?"

"Yes--a winter camp and a summer camp. But we have stayed comfortably
here in the cook-tent until the thermometer went fourteen degrees below
zero. We'll sleep in it till we get your house done, and you can take
the tent. If there are no parties wanting guides, we might as well begin
it in the morning."

"But," faltered Francoise, "afterw'iles when de ice is t'ick, and you go
to de hudder camp--"

"Oh, we'll take care of you," he promised. "You and Gougou will go with
us. We couldn't leave you on this side."

"In de dark nights," shuddered Francoise.

"You needn't be afraid, any time. When we are off during the day we
always leave Jess and Jim to guard the camp. Jess is a Scotch collie and
Jim is a blood-hound. He's there in the kennel. Neither man nor varmint
would have any chance with them."

"I been use' to live alone when my husban' is away, M'sieu' Brownee. I
not 'fraid like you t'ink. But if Gougou be cold and hongry."

"Now that's enough," said Brown, with gentle severity. "Gougou will
never be cold and hungry again while there's a stick of wood to be cut
on the shores of this lake, or any game to bag, or a 'lunge to spear
through the ice. We get about two days' lumbering a week down by
St. Ignace. No use to work more than two days a week," he explained,
jocosely. "That gives us enough to live on; and everybody around here
owes us from fifty to a hundred dollars back pay for work, anyhow. I've
bought this ground, twenty acres of it, and another year I'm going to
turn it into a garden."

"Oh, a garden, M'sieu' Brownee! Me, I love some garden! I plant honion
once, salade also."

"But I want to get my fences built before I put in improvements. You
know what the silver rule is, don't you?"

"No, m'sieu'," answered Francoise, vaguely. She knew little of any rule.

"The silver rule is different from the golden rule. It's 'Do your
neighbors, or your neighbors will do you.' If I don't protect myself