The Maid of the Whispering Hills

tle ripples have cast up the sand in a thousand ridges. His black eyes were mild, for these Indians were a peaceful people, rel

ept them near the factories and driv

back into the past year, his feathered head-dress qu

ne beaver, eight pounds of shot and four of powder. Yet thy brothers come down from their lodges to Fort de Seviere because of the love they bear to you, and for the fairness in trade that never varies. Many beavers are in the packs, much marten and fox and ermi

wintering birds of new people, fair-skinned and red in the cheeks, who come into the upper country from the west where lies the Big Water. These are strange people, like none that trade with the Indians, who are neither fri

es, has told Quamenoka of their strange customs, their hardness, an

oment and smo

e stillness, for this was c

figure in the doorway and the peering face

ragatchousibi, who this year journey down to Fort de Seviere with many furs,-more than all that

to the country of the Assiniboines, in whose lodges they will eat the great feast of the Peace Dance. Not long have the Nakonkirhirinons traded the

ively and raised his gla

oy no

word, and a present over and above that meant for him s

d speak again, Edmonton R

e having adopted me with all ceremony once when I sojourned

red life of his friend that had not been set before him, and each revelation was full to the b

nodded an

up the river, which passed but few suns back. A sun-man sat in the first, beautiful of face and with hair like light, who strove to

to bid a young clerk, one Gifford, bring forth the presents for the guests,-a coat with coarse white lace and lining of vermilion, a hat of felt and a sash of many colours for Quamenoka, and lesser glories for his four headmen. These presented

by Maren Le Moyne, where she had drawn aside, stil

went to her face and for

touched his arm, a light touch with the deftness of strength

here do they come from

e our nearest tribe, living along the country from the Hare Hills to the pa

not if they come not far, other than that

llowed his way to the encampment, but he

she was but a child had men who looked upon her felt this same longing, this stirring of the worshipper within. But few had dared the wall of quietness about her; therefore, she had remained apart. Only Prix Laroux of all those who had seen her grow int

r of Fort de Seviere and he looked

h to him a garment tha

dress, in a single piece from throat to ankle, the sleeves straight from the shoulder, and at edge a

and design, which came from the hands of none save the women of this tribe, and at hem and elbow, above the dangling fri

thing in his hands, and the pu

for a price that astonished her and was back within the p

this visit of him who was the Law, the Head of De Seviere, and at her

s garment hanging in his hand an

ered, "I would-" a

took him and he gre

, how dared he do

en vexation. Factor of the post, he had made of himself a stammer

g to the doorside and the silence grew unbearable, there was a s

e had seen the red blood in McElroy's face, the wond

kly, "do some of them, by c

the spell, so subtly natural was

eyes, "but I have found something very beautiful among them wh

oeskin garment and his

ared at De Courtenay and a curious expr

herself up and the straight brows began to frown. But as she had felt the whimsical charm of De Courtenay, so now she

as watching, shar

s a baffling note to the voice this t

lle," said Mc

im, and for a moment her hand lay a

me to wear i

hall ple

me," she said quite ea

e. It had been an impulse, and he had rushed to its fulfilling without a thought. Had he bungled in

omentary frown came turn and turn with that of the gentle

ren Le

ch was her own, the while Marie's sharp eyes follow

d the inner door, unable to longer ho

her head and closed t

ade from the worn garments that had seen the long trail, and stood bendin

e dangling fringe, and her hand lingered with a strange

iven her, other than De Courtenay's red

fted, of the mouth above and of the eyes, clear as the new day and anxious as a child's the while she halted abo

me to the wilderness each year. Neither were they like this man, nor Cif and Pierre Bordoux, no

s who had spoken so prettily. With all his grace, he was unlike this

e; this maid of the wilde

emed so ill-beset that she h

stumble longer under

first time she gave thought to self-adornment. She was strong, this woman, and given to serious dreams, and the small things of womanhood had left her wide apart in a land of her own wherein there we

the garment that folded her form, and she held up her arm

eous thing of white fringe and sparkling col

its pretty edge, gathering it into her waist, trying its effect. She was c

ture which had worn it first, the slim-legged doe boundin

iful death of the bullet, the legiti

he natural life of the forest. Therefore this pelt held

peculiar power of eyes, upon her, and, turning quickly, she saw a black h

d run by the factor's side that day of the meeting of Bois DesCaut by the river. With the drop of that head from the sil

arie in the outer space, where yawned a wide fireplace with its dogs on the hear

rawn by the sight of the factor at the Baptiste

saying, "such softness of white d

harply, "is there nau

l where this girl's word had been the law falling upon them, bu

t the factor brought it but now t

e open door and the tongues

ose beaded edge there hung a great grey dog, his he