The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1907-10-23

| tardy agent was to be seen. Return
ing to the clearing, he discovered his
wife at one of the windows of the
store, her face pressed against the
parchment that served for glass. He
pushed her aside roughly; then, un-
able to withstand the temptation, he
took her place and peered into the
| dusky treasure house.
| There hung shirts of red flannel
and blue; gaudy blanketings; woolen
stockings of many hues, with dang
ling tassels; and here and there he
caught the CLEANS from canisters of
| tobacco and tea. At one end of the
dusty counter stood little kegs of
gun-powder and leaden bullets. And
as he searched for other treasures
with longing eyes, he caught the shad-
ows of the squaw's face against the
window in the opposite wall of the
store. At that he turned away and
called to her angrily. But pity for
the woman who had worked so we'll
and cheerfully through all that long
winter ached in his breast.
| Mcleod did not arrive at the post
that day. Neither did he appear on
the next. Walking Moose haunted
the store, sometimes lingering his
empty tobacco-pipe, sometimes contem-
plating his empty musket. The squaw
worked listlessly at the dressing of
moose hide, sitting for hours before
their rough shelter without saying
a word or lifting her eyes. A thou.
sand swollen streams broke their
letters of ice, and the beavers swan
up from their winter retreats.
me go get Mcleod" said Walking
Moose, on the morning of the third
day after their arrival at Alexanders
Hope, and you stay with the skins
and the dogs"
The woman looked up at him pite-
ously. She was a good squaw and
young-and her eyes were large and
bright.
Yes, me CO." repeated the hunter,
firmly. Three days to st. Johns, and
three days back-and you take care
Of the SKINS" He glanced about him
uneasily, high and low, to right and
left-anywhere but at the woman.
me travel fast all alone" he add
ed.
A few minutes later he set out on
the three days journey to the south
ward, with snow-shoes on his feet, a
pouchful of dried meat at his side,
and his useless firearm on his shoul-
der.
The dogs ran after him, but were
called back by the squaw.
Walking Moose travelled stolidly for
ten miles.
Mcleod and the big fort seemed
to be a whole worlds length away;
but behind him, at the end of the
trai lof his snow-shoes, were a woman
and two dogs. He continued, the south.
ward journey.
The sun was in the west,
handbreath above the far hills,
when the heart of Walking
Moose rebelled against the desola-
tion and unreason of the lonely jour
ney. Turning square in his tracks,
the hunter began to reclaim the miles
he had SO wearily unraveled. The
north called to him-with the voice Of
the lonely woman and the enchant-
ment of the little store at Alexander's
Hope. The memory of the red shirts,
the powder, the tea and the tasseled
stockings drew him and Knocked him
in the same turn of thought. Ont
voice spoke within MIN, "Tbe door
is weak. You will take what you need
and pay fairly with the good skins.
1t is your duty to supply yourself with
powder and ball for your gun, that
you may kill the beaver and musquash
and wild geese. And you and the
woman deserve tea and tobacco-and
you have the good furs with which
to pay"
But another voice whispered that
such a thing could not be done; that
only an agent of the great company
might unfasten that door and measure
out those needful and desirable stores;
that the name of Walking Moose
would become a name of scorn in
the world II he did his trading with
out waiting for Mcleod. But the