Warm in her new sweater, she seized the lantern and started up a path. Sometimes the light revealed a maple with scars, for the Indian tomahawks his sugar trees. Here it flashed on the yellow of a certain birch which draws on the same mysterious fountain as the wintergreen. Here it glowed on ancient elms. Far above in the blackness their mighty harps hung motionless, waiting like Memnon for the morning. A mile of it, all fragrant and dark and virginal, and the sound of rain on the leafy roof gave way. She was in Ojeeg’s clearing. She moved softly past the house and came to the door of the birch-bark lodge. It was open, and from within came a sudden growl. “Ahne-moosh!” she whispered. A big Eskimo dog emerged and licked her hand in the dark. Then she called softly, “Shinguakonse!” No answer. She threw the gleam of her lantern ahead. The lad was sound asleep on his bed of birch, the deerskin thongs of which were visible beside the blanket in which he was rolled. She sat down on the silvery edge and touched him. He started, opened bewildered eyes, and sat up. “Tyah! Is Mainutung sick?” “No.” “Is Mahan drowned?” “Not yet. But your question explains everything. He fell in again, and gave you money for pulling him out. Do you have to be paid for saving life?” The boy looked at her flashing eyes and sank back on his bed. “Shinguakonse, don’t think me ungrateful. See, I am wearing your sweater. We give you lessons because we love you. And because you love Mainutung, you shall bring him some deermeat as soon as the season is open. How very, very pretty your lodge looks.” Chapter 49. Indium She rose and moved to the door, where she stood gazing into the darkness till the boy had slipped into his clothes. “I am glad Naynokahsee she like my lodge. It is medicine for my father. It is like what was on Keego.” “My brother, I’m afraid it is little use to recall those days.” “My sister, when a man he get sick, medicine man he must know how that sickness it come. You will listen?” “Yes, Shinguakonse.” “Suppose voyageur come to Keego on snow-shoes, 1832. He see hole in ice and red on ice and know it good place to fish. He walk up bank and see woodpile and two three barrel salt fish. He see bark lodge, nice clean blanket for door, lift up, go in. He see this room, everything like this. Old head-dress of eagle feathers; nice mats of cedar; big cedar bag full of wooden spoons; many nice moccasins; nice chest painted red. He see much dry deermeat, one barrel meal, one bag dry blueberries, one mokkuk maple sugar. He see three kettles, one rifle, one shotgun, one bullet-pouch, one shot-pouch, one powder-horn. “Bien! He see man and woman, young, no baby. Man say ‘Bo-jou, neejee, sit down, eat!’ All kind fish, deermeat, corncake, blueberry, sugar. He stay all night, sleep fine, in morning eat again. No charge. Indian glad.