All through the day Martin's mind was much concerned about the incident of the morning. He tried to reason out why The Twins should wish to take possession of his property when there was so much unclaimed land lying all around on that side of the river. He thought of the gold buried behind the house, and wondered if in any way the secret had become known. But who was there to tell the white men? he asked himself. Nance had not done so, he was quite sure of that. Then the Indians suddenly flashed into his mind. Perhaps they had been questioned as to the old diggings up the Quaska. The natives, no doubt, well remembered how he had dug there years ago. He at once thought of Taku. This Indian had been down the river among the miners at the time of the great stampede, and he might have told them something.
Acting upon the impulse of the moment, he seized his hat and hurried over to the Indian encampment, straight toward Taku's house. He found the native and his wife at work upon the fish they had recently taken from the lake.
"Doing a good business, Taku, eh?" Martin asked, sitting down upon a stone nearby.
"Ah, ah," was the reply.
"White men take all you catch, eh?"
"Ah, ah."
"Did the white men pay you well for your trip down the Heena this spring?" Martin further questioned.
"Ah, ah. Good. Tobac, tea, gun, coat."
"You were there when they got back from the Quaska?"
"Ah, ah. Beeg tam."