"And not here?" replied Jan quickly.

"Not that they know of," said Cummins, still keeping his eyes on the
boy. "The man who drove him never got back to Churchill. They're
wondering where the driver went, too. A company officer has gone up to
the Etawney, and it is possible he may come over to Lac Bain. I don't
believe he'll find the missionary."

"Neither do I," said Jan quite coolly. "He is probably dead, and the
wolves and foxes have eaten him before this--or mebby ze feesh!"

Cummins resumed his task of unpacking, and among the books which he
brought forth there were two which he gave to Jan.

"The supply ship from London came in while I was at Churchill, and
those came with it," he explained. "They're school-books. There's
going to be a school at Churchill next winter, and the winter after
that it will be at York Factory, down on the Hayes." He settled back
on his heels and looked at Jan. "It's the first school that has ever
come nearer than four hundred miles of us. That's at Prince Albert."

For many succeeding days Jan took long walks alone in the forest
trails, and silently thrashed out the two problems which Cummins had
brought back from Churchill for him. Should he warn Jean de Gravois
that a company officer was investigating the disappearance of the
missionary?

At first his impulse was to go at once into Jean's haunts beyond the
Fond du Lac, and give him the news. But even if the officer did come