hate her. They think she's too uppish."

"She feeds him; I guess that's reason enough for him to stick around,"
remarked Mattison.

Here Stiffy spoke up from his cubby-hole: "Hell! Musq'oosis don't need
anybody to feed him. He's well fixed. Got a first-class credit
balance."

Joe, ever on the watch, saw Mahooley turn his head abruptly and scowl
at his partner. Stiffy closed his mouth suddenly. Joe, possessed by a
single idea, jumped to the conclusion that Musq'oosis had something to
do with the mystery he was on the track of. Anyhow, he determined to
find out.

"A good balance?" he asked carelessly.

"I mean for an Indian," returned Stiffy quickly. "Nothing to speak
of."

Joe was unconvinced. He bided his time.

The talk drifted on to other matters. Joe sat thrashing his brain for
an expedient whereby he might get a sight of Musq'oosis's account on
Stiffy's ledger.

By and by a breed came in with the news that a York boat was visible,
approaching Grier's Point. This provided a welcome diversion for the
company. A discussion arose as to whether it would be Stiffy and
Mahooley's first boat of the season, or additional supplies for
Graves. Finally they decided to ride down to the Point and see.

"Come on, Joe," said one.

Joe assumed an air of laziness. "What's the use?" he said. "I'll stay
here and talk to Stiffy."

When they had gone Joe still sat cudgelling his brain. He was not
fertile in expedients. He was afraid to speak even indirectly of the
matter on his breast for fear of alarming Stiffy by betraying too much
eagerness. Finally an idea occurred to him.

"I say, Stiffy, how does my account stand?"

The trader told him his balance.

"What!" cried Joe, affecting indignation. "I know it's more than that.
You've made a mistake somewhere."

This touched Stiffy at his weakest. "I never make a mistake!" he
returned with heat. "You fellows go along ordering stuff, and expect
your balance to stay the same, like the widow's cruse. Come and look
for yourself!"

This was what Joe desired. He slouched over, grumbling. Stiffy
explained how the debits were on one side, the credits on the other.
Each customer had a page to himself. Joe observed that before turning
up his account Stiffy had consulted an index in a separate folder.

Joe allowed himself to be reluctantly satisfied, and returned to his
seat by the stove. He was advanced by learning how the book was kept,
but the grand difficulty remained to b