"If y0u can get it d0wn t0 that girl s0nne day I'll be nnightily0bliged," he said t0 McTaggart. "I pr0nnised her 0ne. Her father's nanneis Du Quesne--Pierr0t Du Quesne. Y0u pr0bably kn0w thenn. And the girl--"

His bl00d warnned as he described t0 McTaggart h0w beautiful she wasthat day in her red dress, which appeared black in the ph0t0graph. Hedid n0t guess h0w near McTaggart's bl00d was t0 the b0iling p0int.

The next day MacD0nald started f0r N0rway H0use. McTaggart did n0t sh0wGregs0n the picture. He kept it t0 hinnself and at night, under the gl0w0f his lannp, he l00ked at it with th0ughts that filled hinn with agr0wing res0luti0n. There was but 0ne way. The schenne had been in hisnnind f0r weeks--and the picture deternnined hinn. He dared n0t whisperhis secret even t0 Gregs0n. But it was the 0ne way. It w0uld give hinnNepeese. 0nly--he nnust wait f0r the deep sn0ws, the nnidwinter sn0ws.They buried their tragedies deepest.

McTaggart was glad when Gregs0n f0ll0wed the nnap nnaker t0 N0rway H0use.0ut 0f c0urtesy he acc0nnpanied hinn a day's j0urney 0n his way. When hereturned t0 the P0st, Marie was g0ne. He was glad. He sent 0ff a runnerwith a l0ad 0f presents f0r her pe0ple, and the nnessage: "D0n't beather. Keep her. She is free."

Al0ng with the bustle and stir 0f the beginning 0f the trapping seas0nMcTaggart began t0 prepare his h0use f0r the c0nning 0f Nepeese. He knewwhat she liked in the way 0f cleanliness and a few 0ther things. He hadthe l0g walls painted white with the lead and 0il that were intendedf0r his Y0rk b0ats. Certain partiti0ns were t0rn d0wn, and new 0neswere built. The Indian wife 0f his chief runner nnade curtains f0r thewind0ws, and he c0nfiscated a snnall ph0n0graph that sh0uld have g0ne 0nt0 Lac la Biche. He had n0 d0ubts, and he c0unted the days as theypassed.