Part 26 (2/2)

”You shall have so just a little taste,” Katherine said, as with a brief word of co back to the store for some bundles of meal and flannel that had been left behind for a second journey

While the dogs were gone, she and Phil stowed into the boat all the goods which had been brought over, then they sat down to wait for the rean to be busy on the events of yesterday

”I'e to-day, because, as we can't be in two places at once, I shan't be found at the store if anyone co up at a bluebird which sat on a bough above his head The bird gave a little chirp, whisked its tail, and then stayed motionless, as if much interested in the talk

”Who would be likely to make a special visit to you to-day?” asked Katherine,Phil's prank of yesterday

”Nick Jones, of course I guess if I had beenin at the door, one down into reat candour

”But he ested Katherine

”No, he won't, for a lot of the off the Twins; and Mr Ferrars is going too, I know, because I heard him say so,” replied Phil

”The Twins are those two islands east of Akimiski, are they not?” asked Katherine

”I suppose so; they are out in the Bay soerous, because there are such strong currents all round them and no end of hidden rocks,” Phil said in a cheerful tone, as if he were rather pleased than otherwise that his eneer in the near future

”That o and all the people were drowned I wonder they are taking the Mary,” said Katherine, for that was the biggest and best of the new boats, built by Astor M'Kree in the previous winter

”They are taking her because she is such a good boat; no use having a leaky old tub for such work Here cos!” and Phil jumped up in such a hurry that the bluebird fleay in alarht being packed into the boat; then Katherine and Phil took their up-river way, and the dogs went back to the store to spend the ht fit

Phil's news, had puzzled Katherine a great deal It seeo off to the rough, dangerous work of fishi+ng off the shores of the inhospitable Twins if he were really engaged to Mary His absence from Seal Cove would mean that so in had to have their cargoes totalled and entered, while the drying, sorting, and packing needed constant supervision Perhaps so; at any rate, the pull up river see the second portage, even though she had to carry the wooden boxes, with the jars ofacross her own shoulders, a heavy, uncoh the hot sunshi+ne

Backwards and forwards they went along the portage path, but they did not have to carry the boat, fortunately, as a birchbark belonging to Astor M'Kree was always available for their use on the long portage-a great convenience this, as Katherine and Phil would hardly have ed the burden of the boat between them Mrs M'Kree as usual received Katherine literally with open arms, and pressed her to remain on her way back for tea This invitation Katherine would have pro look fro with his eneht to be back about four o'clock, then perhaps we can stay for an hour,” Katherine said, accepting on Phil's behalf, although her own desires were solely and entirely for getting hoular brick you are, Katherine!” exclaimed Phil, as they settled thee ”I just wish to be as late ho, and then o to bed directly I get there”

”It strikes ive out, but your nerve,” Katherine answered with a laugh; then went on in a graver tone: ”I don't scold you when you play monkey tricks, as you did yesterday, but it is hard work not to despise you when I see you trying to escape the consequences of what you have done by sneaking off to bed, pretending you are tired, when in reality you are only afraid”

Phil reddened, looked dreadfully ashamed of himself for about two minutes, then said in a cheerful tone: ”It is rather nice ofto play round with those sticky M'Kree babies, as if I were a kid myself”

”I suppose it is; yet down underneath I dare say you rather like the playing round, as you call it,” laughed Katherine, and then she worked on in silence up the solitary reaches of the river, with the glaring sunshi+ne on her unsheltered back, and swar her unprotected face and neck These last became such an intolerable nuisance after a time, that she was forced to swathe herself in a hot and cue orthy of its name that day, and it was considerably past noon before they arrived at the Indian village to which they were bound At first they could not find anyone at ho bark fro of canoes But the sa had happened before, so Katherine was not at a loss Picking up a tin pan, she co a military tattoo upon it with a thick stick; while Phil, with a trumpet i din whichbefore their custoan A very long business it proved to-day, for, the weather being warhly enjoy sitting round at their ease and taking time to consider whether they wished to be purchasers or not

[Illustration: Bartering with the Indians]

But Katherine was patient and tactful too After all, the training of a teacher is not lost in the buying and selling of a backwoods store The saifts of persuasion are needful in both cases, and the saain which has come to completion It was four o'clock before Katherine was able to turn her back on the Indian village, but by then she had sold every article which had been brought up river, and was laden with a currency of valuable furs and some specireat age The sa had happened before, and she could never quite make out where it had come from, for the naras so rarely met with in the Hudson Bay waters now, and was a creature so fierce, that it was puzzling to kno people in birchbark canoes, are to secure it A theory held by her father in his days of health was, that in places along those little-known shores the tusks of narwhals dead centuries before ht be found by the Indians buried in the sands, and it was finds of this sort which they dug up and offered for sale

Their stay at Mrs M'Kree's house was very short after all, though Katherine was thankful indeed for the cup of tea awaiting her there, and rateful for the kindness to be fastidious about its overdrawn condition As a ently on the boil for more than two hours, but this was a minor detail in the comfort of people who had an outdoor life and worked hard from dawn to dark

It was pleasant to slip down on the swift current of the river when the cool of the evening cae was reached, for it was like taking up the burden of life again, and she was tired enough to feel that rest was a luxury indeed The dogs were soon over at the boathouse to help with the parcels, and then Katherine and Phil, both heavily laden, passed up the portage path, and night came down