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266 pened to be the very thing needful for Tempest just now.

He accepted both the votive and the hidden offerings gratefuly [sic], and he did not pour the soup from the window nor scatter the bread to the few hungry birds until Poley's harsh piping whistle was raised in the kitchen quarters again. And when he settled back to his work the cloud on his face was lightened. Although it had only made a yellow-ochre patch in the snow outside, Poley's soup had strengthened Tempest's heart quite as fully as the old man ever intended it to strengthen his stomach.

It was still evening, with a red sun dropping through a clear sky when Dick came into make his report. He was cold and invigorated and cheerful, and he struck, more strongly than usual, the life-note which Tempest felt to be slackening in himself. And yet in him it had once been the strongest.

Dick gave his report succinctly, standing tall against the window-light.

"Morgan missed those sacks yesterday morning," he said. "But of course he thought to-day time enough to let us know, after they had churned the snow up all round in order to obliterate all they might want to find out. Fortunately they hadn't gone beyond the place where they water the horses, and I tracked my man through there, and followed up to that Cree camp at Dog Point. There I found the corner of a new burnt sack being chewed by a gidde, and an old horse belonging to Double-Toed Pigeon which looked as if he had lately been assisting at a blow-out. They didn't want to tell me anything about it." He paused a moment. "The man is Job Kesikaw—down at the Reserve."

"Oh, well, I was wanting to see the man myself." A sudden impulse came over Tempest; a sudden warmth towards the man opposite. "I'll go down with you after supper," he said. "It's full moon. Tell Poley he can put it forward a little, but not too much, and I'll have mine here to save time. But I have to see Holland first. He was complaining about the man who is renting his river-lot"

Dick gave the order to Poley, and flung himself into the big chair in the mess-room to doze and warm himself until