re always comin' up here and starvin' on us. Do you think that's
nice for me? Why, the last fellow left a little pile of white bones
beside the trail on the way to my girl's house, after the coyotes
picked him clean. Every time I go up there I got to turn my head the
other way."

Sam smiled stiffly at Mahooley's humour.

"Can you cook?" the trader asked.

Sam's heart sank. "So-so," he said.

"Well, I suppose I've got to let you cook for us and for the gang
that's comin'. You'll find everything in the kitchen across the road.
Go and get acquainted with it. By Gad! you can be thankful you run up
against a soft-hearted man like me."

Sam murmured an inquiry concerning wages.

"Wages!" roared Mahooley with an outraged air. "Stiffy, would you look
at what's askin' for wages! Go on, man! You're damned lucky if you get
a skinful of grub every day. Grub comes high up here!"

Sam reflected that it would be well to submit until he learned the
real situation in the settlement. "All right," he said, and turned to
go.

"Hold on," cried Mahooley. "You ain't ast what we'll have for dinner."

Sam waited for instructions.

"Well, let me see," said Mahooley. He tipped a wink in his partner's
direction. "What's your fancy, Stiffy."

"Oh, I leave the mean-you to you, Mahooley."

"Well, I guess you can give us some patty de foy grass, and squab on
toast, and angel cake."

"Sure," said Sam. "How about a _biscuit Tortoni_ for dessert?"

"Don't you give me no lip!" cried Mahooley.

CHAPTER XVI

AT THE SETTLEMENT

On the fourth day thereafter the long tedium of existence in the
settlement began to be broken in earnest. Before they could digest the
flavour of one event, something else happened. In the afternoon word
came down to Stiffy and Mahooley that the bishop had arrived at the
French Mission, bringing the sister of the company trader's wife under
his care.

Likewise the Indian agent and the doctor had come to the police post.
The whole party had arrived on horseback from the Tepiskow Lake
district, where they had visited the Indians. Their boat was held up
down the lake by adverse winds.

Before Stiffy and Mahooley had a chance to see any of these arrivals
or hear their news, quite an imposing caravan hove in view across the
river from the store, and shouted lustily for the ferry.

There were four wagons, each drawn by a good team, beside half a dozen
loose horses. The horses were in condition, the wagons