q'oosis.

Bela shook her head a little sullenly.

She had good reasons, but it was difficult to explain them.

"I got go alone," she said.

"All right," replied Musq'oosis huffily. "Why you want talk to me?"

Bela glanced at him appealingly. "You speak me good words," she said.
"You moch my friend. But I go alone. I can't tell it good. When I
alone I keep myself moch secret lak you tell me. They not see me come
and go; think I got magic. They scare of me."

"All right," repeated Musq'oosis. "I lak sleep in my teepee. What you
goin' do when you go back?"

"When the bishop come I goin' marry the cook," said Bela calmly.

"Um," grunted Musq'oosis. "Is he the bigges'?"

"No," answered Bela. "He littles'. I watch him. He got stronges' eye."

"So?"

"He is a pretty man," she said, suddenly lowering her head. "He mak'
me want him bad. His eyes lak the sky at tam wild roses come. Hair
bright lak mink-skin. He has kindness for women lak my fat'er got."

"H-m!" growled Musq'oosis; "you talk lak white woman."

"Tell me how to get him," said Bela simply.

Musq'oosis affected scorn. "Wa! All tam ask me what to do. Then go do
what you lak, anyhow."

"You have good words," she put in meekly.

"I tell you before," grumbled Musq'oosis. "Don't let him see you want
him or he never want you."

"I think he not want me moch," said Bela dejectedly. "Not lak ot'er
men."

"Wait a while," encouraged Musq'oosis. "Hard wood slow to catch, but
burn longer. I tell you again--keep your mouth shut. Don't let
anythin' on. If ot'er men think you want the cook, they kill him
maybe. White men sometam crazy lak that. You mus' all same mak'
friends wit' all. Ask moch question. Watch them well. When you know
their ways, you know what to do. Bam-by maybe you get your man to
leave the ot'ers. Then it is easy."

"I do all you tell me," promised Bela.

"Come home to-morrow night," he said.

She rebelled at this. "No. I lak stay there. I can't be paddling over
every day. Too far."

"Are you a fool?" asked Musq'oosis, exasperated. "Where you goin' stay
at night?"

"I got little cache by the creek," she replied. "They no good in the
bush. Can't see not'ing. I fool them all I lak. They never find me."

"Watch yourself," advised Musq'oosis. "It's a dangerous game."

"I got my little gun," she returned, tapping her breast. "They plenty
scare of me now."

* * * * *

As soon as it cleared up Young Joe ca