proceed with the building?"

Chloe smiled. "Yes," she answered, "by all means. But, as this is to be
_my_ undertaking, I think I shall have it _my_ way. Build the store
first, if you please----"

"And the stockade?"

"There will be no stockade."

"No stockade! Are you crazy? If MacNair----"

"I will attend to MacNair, Mr. Lapierre."

"Do you imagine MacNair will stand quietly by and allow you to build a
trading-post here on the Yellow Knife? Do you think he will listen to
our explanation that this is a school and that the store is merely a
plaything? I tell you he will countenance neither the school nor the
post. Education for the natives is the last thing MacNair will stand
for."

"As I told you, I will attend to MacNair. My people will not be armed.
The stockade would be silly."

Lapierre smiled; drew closer, and dropped his voice to a confidential
whisper. "I can put one hundred rifles and ten thousand cartridges in
the hands of your people in ten days' time."

"Thank you, Mr. Lapierre. I don't need your guns."