Part 20 (1/2)

Brent returned the cap to his head. ”I'm glad I didn't know the other day, how expert you are with your rifle,” he laughed, ”Or I wouldn't have stayed as long as I did.”

The girl regarded him gravely: ”You are not angry with me?” she asked.

”Why, no, of course not! Why should I be angry with you? I knew that there was no reason why you should shoot me. And I knew that things would straighten out, somehow. I thought you had mistaken me for someone else, and----”

”I thought you were a hooch-runner,” interrupted the girl. ”I did not think any white man who is not a hooch-runner, or a policeman, would be way over here, and I could see that you were not in the Mounted.”

”No,” answered Brent, ”I am not in the Mounted, but, how do you know that I am not a hooch-runner?”

”Because, three of our band went to your cabin that very night to buy hooch, and they did not get it. And the next night they went again and took more fox skins, and again they came away empty handed.”

”You sent them then?”

”No, no! But, I knew that they would think the same as I did, that you wanted to trade them hooch, so I followed them when they slipped out of the village. Both nights I followed, and I pressed my ear close to the door, so that I heard all you said.”

Brent smiled: ”I have some recollection of asking one of those wooden images something about a certain warlike young lady----”

The girl interrupted him with a laugh: ”Yes, I heard that, and I heard you swear at the hooch traders, and tell the Indians there was no hooch in the cabin, and I was glad.”

The man's eyes sought hers in a swift glance: ”Why--why were you glad?”

he asked.

”Because I--because you--because I didn't want to kill you. And I would have killed you if you had sold them hooch.”

”You wouldn't--really----”

”Yes, I would!” cried the girl, and Brent saw that the dark eyes flashed, ”I would kill a hooch-runner as I would a wolf. They are wolves. They're worse than wolves! Wolves kill for meat, but they kill for money. They take the fur that would put bread in the mouths of the women and the little babies, and they make the men drunken and no good.

There used to be thirty of us in the band, and now there are only sixteen. Two of the men deserted their families since we came here, because they would not stay where there was no hooch.” The girl ceased speaking and glanced quickly upward: ”Snow!” she cried, ”It is starting to snow, and darkness will soon be here. I must draw these caribou, before they freeze.” She drew the knife from her belt and stepped to the carca.s.s of the bull. But Brent took it from her hand.

”Let me do it,” he said, eagerly, ”You stand there and tell me how, and we'll have it done in no time.”

”Tell you how!” exclaimed the girl, ”What do you mean?” Brent laughed: ”I'm afraid I'm still an awful _chechako_ about some things. I can shoot them, all right, but there has always been someone to do the drawing, and skinning, and cutting up. But, I'll learn quickly. Where do I begin?”

Under the minute directions of the girl Brent soon had the big bull drawn. The two smaller animals were easier and when the job was finished he glanced apprehensively at the thickening storm. ”We had better go now,” he said. ”Do you know how far it is to your camp?”

”Nine or ten miles, I think,” answered the girl, ”We have only been here since fall and this is the first time I have hunted in this direction.

But, first we must draw your caribou. If they freeze they cannot be drawn and then they will not be fit for food.”

”But, the snow,” objected Brent. ”It is coming down faster all the time.”

”The snow won't bother us. There is no wind. Hurry, we must finish the others before dark.”

”But, the wind might spring up at any moment, and if it does we will have a regular blizzard.”

”Then we can camp,” answered the girl, and before the astounded man could reply, she had led off at a brisk pace in the direction of the other caribou.

The early darkness was already beginning to make itself felt and Brent drove to his task with a will, and to such good purpose that the girl nodded hearty approval. ”You did learn quickly,” she smiled, ”I could not have done it any better nor quicker, myself.”

”Thank you,” he laughed, ”And that is a real compliment, for by the way you can handle a rifle, and cover ground on snowshoes, I know you are _skook.u.m tillic.u.m_.”