of the completed product was
stuck in a smooth stick, awaiting possible customers.

"Out of sight!" said Joe, examining them.

"I t'ink maybe sell some this year," observed Musq'oosis. "Plenty new
men come."

"How much?" asked Joe.

"Four bits."

"I'll take a couple. There's a good stream beside my place."

"Stick 'em in your hat."

After this transaction Musq'oosis liked Joe a little better. He
entered upon an amiable dissertation on fly-fishing, to which Joe gave
half an ear, while he debated how to lead up to what he really wanted
to know. In the end it came out bluntly.

"Say, Musq'oosis, what do you know about a fellow called Walter
Forest?"

Musq'oosis looked at Joe, startled. "You know him?" he asked.

"Yes," said Joe. Recollecting that Beattie had told him the man had
been dead twenty years, he hastily corrected himself. "That is, not
exactly. Not personally."

"Uh!" said Musq'oosis.

"I thought I'd ask you, you're such an old-timer."

"Um!" said Musq'oosis again. There was nothing in this so far to
arouse his suspicions. But on principle he disliked to answer
questions. Whenever it was possible he answered a question by asking
another.

"Did you know him?" persisted Joe.

"Yes," replied Musq'oosis guardedly.

"What like man was he?"

"What for you want know?"

"Oh, a fellow asked me to find out," answered Joe vaguely. He gained
assurance as he proceeded. "Fellow I met in Prince George. When he
heard I was coming up here he said: 'See if you can find out what's
become of Walter Forest. Ain't heard from him in twenty year.'"

"What this fellow call?" asked Musq'oosis.

"Er--George Smith," Joe improvised. "Big, dark-complected guy.
Traveller in the cigar line."

Musq'oosis nodded.

"Walter Forest died twenty year ago," he said.

"How?" asked Joe.

"Went through the ice wit' his team."

"You don't say!" said Joe. "Well! Well! I said I'd write and tell
George."

Joe was somewhat at a loss how to go on. He said "Well! Well!" again.
Finally he asked: "Did you know him well?"

"He was my friend," said Musq'oosis.

"Tell me about him," said Joe. "So I can write, you know."

Musq'oosis was proud of his connection with Walter Forest. There was
no reason why he should not tell the story to anybody. Had he not
urged upon Bela to use her own name? It never occurred to him that
anyone could trace the passage of the father's bequest from one set of
books to the other. So in his simple