where the dogs is. She bring him quick to the fort. In one week
Michel is go to his traps same as ever. That is the story!"

"By God, there's a woman!" cried Peter. Ambrose said nothing.

When Poly Goussard reembarked in his dug-out a heavy constraint fell
upon the two partners.

Ambrose dreaded to hear Peter call attention to the remarkable
coincidence of Poly's story following so close upon their own talk
together. He suspected that Peter would want to sit up and thrash the
matter to conclusions.

At the bare idea of talking about it Ambrose felt as helpless and
sullen as a convicted felon.

In this he underrated Peter's perceptions. Peter had lived in the
woods for many years. He intuitively apprehended something of the
confusion in the younger man's mind, and he was only anxious to let
Ambrose understand that it was not necessary to say anything one way or
the other.

But he overdid it a little, and when Ambrose saw that Peter was "on to
him," as he would have said, he became still more hang-dog and perverse.

They parted at the door of the store. Peter went off to his family,
while Ambrose closed the door of his own little shack behind him, with
a long breath of relief.

Feeling as he did, it was torture to be obliged to support the gaze of