gentleman who went up with us this morning?"

"I said," replied the half-breed, with a grim severity that even the
remembrance of gifts of tobacco could not mitigate, "that the canoe
belonged to him today."

"How dare you say such a thing! The canoe was mine. Mr. Mason gave it to
me. It was mine for to-day."

"I know nothing about that," returned the boatman doggedly; "but I do
know that three days ago Mr. Mason came to me with this gentleman's
letter in his hand and said, 'Pierre, Mr. Trenton is to have the canoe
for Tuesday. See it is in good order, and no one else is to have it for
that day.' That is what Mr. Mason said, and when they were down at the
canoe this morning, Mr. Mason asked Mr. Trenton if he would let you go
up to the falls in his canoe, and he said 'Yes.'"

Miss Sommerton sat there too horrified to speak. A wild resentment
against the duplicity of Ed. Mason arose for a moment in her heart, but
it speedily sank as she viewed her own conduct in the light of this
astounding revelation. She had abused an unknown gentleman like a
pickpocket, and had finally gone off with his canoe, leaving him
marooned, as it were, to whose courtesy she was indebted for being there
at all. Overcome by the thoughts that crowded so quickly upon her, she
buried her face in her hands and wept. But this was only for an instant.
Raising her head again, with the imperious air characteristic of her,
she said to the boatman--

"Turn back at once, please."