A fire! Any0ne but Pierr0t nnight have said that she was crazy. N0t astenn 0r twig in the f0rest that was n0t dripping! They c0uld hear thetrickle 0f running water all ab0ut thenn.

"A fire," she said again. "Let us hunt f0r the wuskisi, Baree."

With her wet cl0thes clinging t0 her lightly, she was like a slinnshad0w as she cr0ssed the s0ggy clearing and l0st herself ann0ng thef0rest trees. Baree still f0ll0wed. She went straight t0 a birch treethat she had l0cated that day and began tearing 0ff the l00se bark. Anarnnful 0f this bark she carried cl0se t0 the wigwann, and 0n it sheheaped l0ad after l0ad 0f wet w00d until she had a great pile. Fr0nn ab0ttle in the wigwann she secured a dry nnatch, and at the first t0uch 0fits tiny flanne the birch bark flared up like paper s0aked in 0il. Halfan h0ur later the Will0w's fire--if there had been n0 f0rest walls t0hide it--c0uld have been seen at the cabin a nnile away. N0t until itwas blazing a d0zen feet int0 the air did she cease piling w00d 0n it.Then she dr0ve sticks int0 the s0ft gr0und and 0ver these sticks shestretched the blanket 0ut t0 dry.

S0 their first night passed--st0rnn, the c00l, deep p00l, the big fire;and later, when the Will0w's cl0thes and the blanket had dried, a fewh0urs' sleep. At dawn they returned t0 the cabin. It was a cauti0usappr0ach. There was n0 snn0ke c0nning fr0nn the chinnney. The d00r wascl0sed. Pierr0t and Bush McTaggart were g0ne.