stopped the down-stream drift and now, with its
dead dogs, was freezing solid in the ice. With his knife, he chopped
away around the edges, and found the pack thongs still around the
sledge. Hazardous poking with a hooked branch brought the pack to
light from beneath the sleigh, but it was a flat and sickly reminder
of what it had once been. The flour was gone, but the tea, which
had been in a canister, was unspoiled. A chunk of fat meat might
prove of some value after treatment. A few battered tin dishes and
utensils Donald greeted as priceless finds, and a rusted woodsman's
ax sent him into a war-dance of joy. Last of all, a single steel
trap came to light. He examined it closely, and discovered why it
had been taken on the trip by Charley Seguis and his companions.
It was broken, and no doubt one of the trappers had expected to
mend it some night by the camp-fire. Just now, Donald could not
tell whether it was beyond his skill or not.

Laden with his finds, he returned to the shanty, where Jean had
succeeded in coaxing a fire to burn in the old stone chimney at
one end. Near by lay the remainder of the fish he had caught in
the morning.

"Those will do for to-night," he said, "but, after supper, I must
catch some more, and look about the banks of that little river. I
thought I noticed several things there this morning."

"Oh, don't go away and leave me alone," pleaded the girl, forgetting
that for two nights and days she had braved the wilderness
single-handed.

"We'll go together then, princess," he replied, smiling. It was
now late in the afternoon, and almost dark, so they set about
dinner, which consisted of fish and tea. During the meal, Donald
regarded Jean for a little in quizzical silence.

"I'm glad Mr. Gates, the missionary, is with your father," he said,
at last.

"I'm not, particularly; he's only in the way, and wants to preach
all the time, when there's fighting to be done. Why are you glad?"

"Just for the convenience of the thing, that's all. When we join
the men from Fort Severn, he can marry us at once."

"Well, well, young man!" replied the girl, severely. "I can't say
that we have to rush into matrimony the moment we perceive a cassock.
Personally, next June at the fort, when the _brigades_ have come
down, and there are flowers, and so forth, I shall be more ready
to talk the matter over with you." She looked at him with eyebrows
lifted in mock condescension while she stirred the fish wi