" Jean began. "I weesh to tell you what happen on de
Ghost. De Lelacs bring a tale to Whale Riviere dat ees not true."

"We have paid no attention to them, Jean, trusting you would show up and
could explain it all then. I know you and I know the Lelacs. I was sorry
to hear about Antoine and Piquet but I don't think you had any part in
it, lad. Be sure of that!"

"T'anks, M'sieu." Then slowly and in great detail Marcel related to the
three men, sitting with set faces, the gruesome history of the past
winter. When he came to the night that Fleur had destroyed the crazed
Piquet, the Hudson's Bay men turned to each other with exclamations of
wonder and admiration.

"That's a dog for you! She got his wind just in time!" muttered Gillies.

"Tiens! Dat Fleur she is lak de wolf," added Jules.

"You ask eef I eat her, M'sieu," Marcel turned on McCain grimly. "Could
you eat de dog dat save your life?"

"No, by God! I'd starve first!" thundered the Scotchman.

"I love dat dog," said Jean quietly, and went on with his tale.

Breathless, they heard how he had pushed deeper and deeper beyond the
hunting grounds of the Crees into the nameless barrens until he reached
streams flowing northeast into Ungava Bay, and at last met the
returning caribou; how the great strength of Fleur beat the drag of the
net, when he was slowly freezing in the lake; and then he came to his
return to the Ghost.

In detail Marcel enumerated the articles belonging to Antoine and Piquet
which he had placed on the stage of the cache beside Beaulieu's body
when he left for the Salmon country and which had been taken by the
Lelacs to Whale River.

"I lashed Antoine een hees shed-tent and put heem on de cache, for the
wolverine and lynx would get heem een de snow." As Marcel talked McCain
and Gillies exchanged significant looks.

"Um!" muttered the factor, when Jean had finished. "Something queer
here!"

"What, M'sieu?" Marcel demanded.

"Why, Lelac says he found the body of Antoine buried under stones on the
shore and that there was nothing on the cache except the empty grub
bags."

"Dey say de fur and rifle was not dere?"

"Yes, nothing on the cache!"

"Den I must have de rifle and de fur; ees dat eet?"

"Yes, that's what they insinuate."

"Ah-hah!" Marcel scowled, thinking hard. "Dey say dey fin' noding, so do
not turn over to you de rifle and fur-pack."

"Yes, they claim you must have hidden them as you hid the body."

"Den how do dey