daughter camping on his trail.

"She want that pot," said Jaquis.

"Then for the love of We-sec-e-gea, god of the Crees," said Smith, "give
it into her hands and bid her begone."

Jaquis did as directed, and the old Indian went away, but she left the
girl.

The next day Smith started on a reconnoissance that would occupy three
or four days. As he never knew himself when he would return, he never
took the trouble to inform Jaquis, the tail of the family.

After breakfast the Belle went over to her mother's. She would have
lunched with her mother from the much coveted kettle, but the Belle's
mother told her that she should return to the camp of the white man, who
was now her lord and master. So the Belle went back and lunched with
Jaquis, who otherwise must have lunched alone. Jaquis tried to keep her,
and wooed her in his half-wild way; but to her sensitive soul he was
repulsive. Moreover, she felt that in some mysterious manner her mother
had transferred her, together with her love and allegiance, to Smith the
Silent, and to him she must be true. Therefore she returned to the Cree
camp.

As the sinking sun neared the crest of the Rockies, the young Indian
walked back to the engineer's camp. As she strode along the new trail
she plucked wildflowers by the wayside and gathered leaves and wove them
into vari-colored wreaths, swinging along with the easy grace of a wild
deer.