Thirlwell resumed: "Well, there was a man; a white man. But the thing's
not to be understood. He knew you were starving and stole away! Then
where did he come from? There's no white man except Driscoll between the
Hudson's Bay post and the mine, and you saved Driscoll's life."

"When I last heard of him, Driscoll was trapping about Stony Creek, a
long way to the east."

Thirlwell knitted his brows and lighted his pipe, which he had put near
the fire to thaw, and there was silence until the _Metis_ arrived with
the sledge, when they took the missionary to their camp and gave him
food. After he had eaten they lay down with their feet to the fire and
Thirlwell said: "If the man had seen your fire and come to borrow
something or find out who you were, he would have spoken. There's
nobody I can think of who has not some grounds for wishing you well, but
it looks as if the fellow thought you were asleep and meant to let you
starve."

"It looks like that," Father Lucien agreed with a curious calm. "Perhaps
we shall find out who he was some day, and if not, it does not matter."

Then he drew the blanket across his face and went to sleep.




CHAPTER VII

AGATHA'S RESOLVE