"But, m'sieu, I do not understand eet. You haf no quarrel with zee tribe?"
"None," answered Stane, and then told him the facts communicated to him by Miskodeed.
"Ah! then, m'sieu, dere ees a white man at zee back of things. Dat Chigmok, he ees no good, he what you call a rotter, but he not dare to do this ting heemself."
"That is how I feel," answered Stane. "But how we are to get at the truth of the matter, I do not know."
"We weel go to zee encampment. We weel mak' Chief George tell zee truth."
"If we can!" commented Stane dubiously.
"As you say, eef we can. But somethings we shall learn, m'sieu, dat ees certain."
"I hope so, Jean."
An hour afterwards they started, following the trail up the lake left by the fugitives, a broadly marked trail, which revealed that a sledge had been used, for there were the marks of the runners both coming and going. As they started, the trapper pointed this out.
"You see, m'sieu, dey come prepared. Dey know dat your Helen she weel not walk; therefore dey bring zee sled, an' lash her thereto."