Involuntarily the young girl's eyes left his face, and Rod, weakly
following her gaze, saw that a blanket had been spread over a huddled
heap in the middle of the floor. He shuddered, and feeling the sudden
tremor in his hand Minnetaki turned to him quickly, her cheeks whiter
than before, but her eyes shining like stars.

"It is Woonga," she whispered. In her voice was a thrilling tremble.
"It is Woonga, and he is dead!"

Rod understood the look in her face now. Woonga, the Nemesis of her
people, the outlaw chief who had sworn vengeance on the house of
Wabinosh, and whose murderous hand had hovered for years like a
threatening cloud over the heads of the factor and his wife and
children, was dead! And he, Roderick Drew, who once before had saved
Minnetaki's life, had killed him. In his weakness and pain he smiled,
and said,

"I am glad, Minne--"

He did not finish. There had come a stealthy, crumbling step to the
door, and in another moment Mukoki and Wabigoon were in the little
cabin.




CHAPTER VI


THE SHADOW OF DEATH