Part 26 (1/2)

”Alone!”

”Alone,” she a.s.sented. ”I'm com' for learn de ways of de white women.”

Chloe motioned the girl closer, and then, seized by a sudden chill, s.h.i.+vered violently. The girl noticed the paroxysm, and, dropping to her knees by Chloe's side, spoke hurriedly.

”You col',” she said. ”You got no blanket. You los'.”

Without waiting for a reply, she hurried to a light pack-sled which stood nearby upon the snow. A moment later she returned with a heavy pair of blankets which she spread at Chloe's side, and then, throwing more wood upon the fire, began rapidly to remove the girl's clothing.

Within a very short s.p.a.ce of time, Chloe found herself lying warm and comfortable between the blankets, while her damp garments were drying upon sticks thrust close to the blaze. She watched the Indian girl as she moved swiftly and capably about her task, and when the last garment was hung upon its stick she motioned the girl to her side.

”Why did you come so far to my school?” she asked. ”Surely you have been to school. You speak English. You are not a full-blood Indian.”

The girl's eyes sought the shadows beyond the firelight, and, as her lips framed a reply, Chloe marvelled at the weird beauty of her.

”I go to school on de Mission, two years at Fort MacPherson. I learn to spik de Englis'. My fadder, heem Englis', but I'm never see heem.

Many years ago he com' in de beeg boat dat com' for ketch de whale an'

got lock in de ice in de Bufort Sea. In de spring de boat go 'way, an'

my fadder go 'long, too. He tell my modder he com' back nex' winter.

Dat many years ago--nineteen years. Many boats com' every year, but my fadder no com' back. My modder she t'ink he com' back som' day, an'

every fall my modder she tak' me 'way from Fort MacPherson and we go up on de coast an' build de _igloo_. An' every day she set an' watch while de s.h.i.+ps com' in, but my fadder no com' back. My modder t'ink he sure com' back, he fin' her waitin' when he com'. She say, mebe so he ketch 'm many whale. Mebe so he get reech so we got plen' money to buy de grub.”

The girl paused and her brows contracted thoughtfully. She threw a fresh stick upon the fire and shook her head slowly. ”I don' know,”

she said softly, ”mebe so he com' back--but heem been gone long tam'.”

”Where is your mother now?” asked Chloe, when the girl had finished.

”She up on de coast in de little _igloo_. Many s.h.i.+ps com' into Bufort Sea las' fall. She say, sure dis winter my fadder com' back. She got to wait for heem.”

Chloe cleared her throat sharply. ”And you?” she asked, ”why did you come clear to the Yellow Knife? Why did you not go back to school at the Mission?”

A troubled expression crept into the eyes of the Louchoux girl, and she seemed at a loss to explain. ”Eet ees,” she answered at length, ”dat my man, too, he not com' back lak' my fadder.”

”Your man!” cried Chloe in astonishment. ”Do you mean you are married?

Why, you are nothing but a child!”

The girl regarded her gravely. ”Yes,” she answered, ”I'm marry. Two years ago I git marry, up on de Anderson Reever. My man, heem free-trader, an' all summer we got plent' to eat. In de fall he tak'

me back to de _igloo_. He say, he mus' got to go to de land of de white man to buy supplies. I lak' to go, too, to de land of de white man, but he say no, you Injun, you stay in de Nort', an' by-m-by I com'

back again. Den he go up de reever, an' all winter I stay in de igloo wit' my modder an' look out over de ice-pack at de boats in de Bufort Sea. In de spreeng my man he don' com' back, my fadder he don' com'

back neider. We not have got mooch grub to eat dat winter, and den we go to Fort MacPherson. I go back to de school, and I'm tell de pries'

my man he no com' back. De pries' he ver' angry. He say, I'm not got marry, but de pries' he ees a man--he don' un'stan'.

”All summer I'm stay on de Mackenzie, an' I'm watch de canoes an' I'm wait for my man to com' back, but he don' com' back. An' in de fall my modder she go Nort' again to watch de s.h.i.+ps in de Bufort Sea. She say, com' 'long, but I don' go, so she go 'lone and I'm stay on de Mackenzie. I'm stay 'til de reever freeze, an' no more canoe can com'.

Den I'm wait for de snow. Mebe so my man com' wit' de dog-team. Den I'm hear 'bout de school de white woman build on de Yellow Knife.

Always I'm hear 'bout de white women, but I'm never seen none--only de white men. My man, he mos' white.

”Den I'm say, mebe so my man lak' de white women more dan de Injun. He not com' back dis winter, an' I'm go on de school and learn de ways of de white women, an' in de spreeng when my man com' back he lak' me good, an' nex' winter mebe he tak' me 'long to de land of de white women. But, eet's a long trail to de Yellow Knife, an' I'm got no money to buy de grub an' de outfit. I'm go once mor' to de pries' an'