The factor watched him go with frowning eyes, then turned to his assistant.
"Not a very sociable sort, hey, Donald?"
The assistant grinned, and shook his head. "Tongue-tied, I guess."
"I wonder where he has his location."
"Somewhere North!" answered Donald. "He came upstream, I saw him."
The factor said no more to him, but passed out of the store towards the warehouse. As he did so he caught sight of Stane standing in the Square watching a canoe far out on the river. The factor's eyes were good and he recognized the occupants of the craft quite easily, and as he saw Stane's interest in them, the frown gathered about his eyes once more, and he muttered to himself:
"I wonder what Mr. Ainley's little game means?"
Then as he was unable to find any answer to his question he turned again to his own affairs.
As for Hubert Stane he stood in the Square for quite a long time watching for the return of the canoe, determined to have speech with Ainley. Then, as it still lingered, he turned and made his way to his own camp.
It was quite late in the afternoon when the opportunity he sought was given to him. Impelled by the merest curiosity he had strolled over to the Indian tepees and had there encountered Miskodeed teaching a puppy-dog tricks. He had stopped to speak to her, and was still engaged in a rather one-sided conversation, when the sound of English voices caused him to turn round.