88 THE BIG CANOE

it until she came to the smoke hole, quickly tied the
rope around a plank, and dropped it down into the
darkness.

“Here is the rope. Come quickly!” she cried in
the Haida tongue, forgetting the language of the Yetz
Haada in her excitement. Almost instantly she felt a
tug upon the rope, felt it vibrate and sway, heard
hoarse breathing in the darkness, and saw the head of
the prisoner appear above the planking.

“Go over the roof to the back,” she whispered. “I
will loosen the rope and follow. Then I will lead you
to a canoe I have hidden in the cove behind the
village. Go softly. The guard is standing out in the
street, but his ears are keen.”

When she had untied the rope, she crawled across
the roof and climbed down to the ground where the
prisoner stood waiting. For a moment she stood listen-
ing. She heard the uproar in the village increase in
volume; heard the shouts of the angry shaman; heard
the commands of the chief, the yells of terror, and
above all the loud laughter of Shim the Foolish One.
Then she led the way along the foggy trail to the cove
behind the village and showed her friend the canoe
and other supplies which she had provided. She
would not listen when he tried to thank her.

“Do not thank me. Forgive me, instead, for the
great wrong I have done you,” she told him gravely.
“When I saved your life before and thoughtlessly re-
ported your presence to my father, I did not dream