The post fell back into its old ways. Now and then a visitor came in
from out of the forest, but he remained for only a day or two, taking
back into the solitude with him a few of the necessaries of life.
Williams was busy preparing his books for the coming of the company's
chief agent from London, and Cummins, who was helping the factor, had
a good deal of extra time on his hands.
Before the last of the snow was gone, he and Jan began dragging in
logs for an addition which they planned for the little cabin. Basking
out in the sun, with a huge bearskin for a floor, Melisse looked upon
the new home-building with wonderful demonstrations of interest.
Cummins' face glowed with pleasure as she kicked and scrambled on the
bearskin and gave shrill-voiced approval of their efforts.
Jan was the happiest youth in the world. It was certain that the
little Melisse understood what they were doing, and the word passed
from Cummins and Jan to the others at the post, so that it happened
frequently during the building operations that Mukee and Per-ee, and
even Williams himself, would squat for an hour at a time in the snow
near Melisse, marveling at the early knowledge which the great God saw
fit to put into a white baby's brain. This miracle came to be a matter
of deep discussion, in which there were the few words but much thought
of men born to silence.
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