They drove him back into his thoughts of the
preceding night, and he felt a sense of relief when they reached the
trapper's.
Ledoq was stripping the hair-fat from a fox-skin when the team pulled
up in front of his cabin. When he saw the daughter of the factor at
Lac Bain with Jan, he jumped briskly to his feet, flung his cap
through the door of the shack, and began bowing and scraping to her
with all his might. It was well known in the province of Lac Bain that
many years before Jean de Gravois had lost a little brother, who had
disappeared one day in the woods; and there were those who hinted that
Ledoq was that brother, for Jean and he were as like as two peas in
the ready use of their tongues, and were of the same build and the
same briskness.
Melisse laughed merrily as Ledoq continued to bow before her, rattling
away in a delighted torrent of French.
"Ah, thes ees wan gr-r-reat compleeman, M'selle Melisse," he finished
at last, breaking for an instant into English. He straightened like a
spring and turned, to Jan. "Did you meet the strange team?"
"We met no team."
Ledoq looked puzzled. Half a mile away, the top of a snow-covered
ridge was visible from the cabin. He pointed to it.
"An hour ago I saw it going westward along the mountain--three men and
six dogs.
Pages:
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153