"One day come big storm wit' snow. He got lost out on the ice wit' his
team and drive in airhole. We find the hay floating after. He never
see you. You come in the spring. He was a fine man. That is all."

After a silence Musq'oosis said: "Well, what you think? What you goin'
do?"

"I goin' outside," Bela promptly answered. "To my fat'er's country."

Musq'oosis shook his head heavily. "It is far. Many days' journey down
the little river and the big river to the landing. From the landing
four days' walk to town. I am too old to travel so far."

"I not afraid travel alone," exclaimed Bela.

Musq'oosis continued to shake his head. "What you goin' do in town?"
he asked.

"I marry a white man," replied Bela coolly.

Musq'oosis betrayed no astonishment. "That is not easy," he observed
with a judicial air. "Not easy when there are white women after them.
They know too moch for you. Get ahead of you."

"I am a handsome girl," said Bela calmly. "You have say it. You tell
me white men crazy for handsome girls."

"It is the truth," returned Musq'oosis readily. "But not for marry."

"My fat'er marry my mot'er," persisted Bela.

"Ot'er white men not same lak your fat'er."

Bela's face fell. "Well, what must I do?" she asked.

"There is moch to be said. If you clever you mak' your white man marry
you."

"How?" she demanded.

Musq'oosis shrugged. "I can't tell you in one word," he replied.

"I can't stay with these people," she said, frowning.

"All right," said Musq'oosis. "But stay in the country. This is your
country. You know the way of this country. I tell you somesing else.
You got some money here."

"Money?" she echoed, opening her eyes wide.

"When your fat'er die, he have credit wit' the company. Near six
hundred dollars. Beaton, the old company trader, he talk wit' me for
cause I your fat'er's friend. He say this money too little to go to
law wit'. The law is too far from us. He say 'I not give it to Loseis,
because her people get it. They only poor, shiftless people, just blow
it in on foolishness.' He say, 'I goin' keep it for the child.' I say,
'All right.'

"Well, bam-by Beaton leave the company, go back home outside. He give
me an order on the new trader. He say keep it till Bela grow up. I
have it now. So I say to you, this money buy you a team, mak' you rich
in this country. But outside it is nothing. I say to you, don't go
outside. Marry a white man here."

Bela considered this. "Which