“Not exactly.”
“Travelling for pleasure?”
“Yes, so far as it is a pleasure to do my work.”
“Prospecting?”
“For some things, though not for gold.”
“In government employ?”
“No.”
“Working for the company, perhaps?”
“If you mean for the fur-trading company, I am not.”
Phil was nonplussed, and knew not what to ask next. In fact, but for the stranger’s affable manner and quizzical smile he would not have pushed his inquiries so far as he had. Finally he said: “I need not ask if you are a good boatman, for any one who can manage a bidarkie as well as you do must be that. I do want to make one more inquiry, though, and I hope you will excuse my inquisitiveness, but we are in distress and greatly need assistance. Are you a Yukon pilot?”