| _nadzaaaaiakaaa a ai iii Si i

ih 114 THE BIG CANOE

longer than she, and were to go to the celebration.
Lana knew, too, that some one must remain at home
and watch the meat, for all would be hungry when
the long day was ended, and there was no smoked fish
in the lodge. Besides, she consoled herself, the trading-
post would remain there, just as it was, to-morrow
and the next day and the next, so that sometime she
herself could go and see it.

Moreover, Lana the Smiling One, as the people
called her, could not be mournful long. Soon after
the departure of the others she had climbed up on the
roof with Koots, her little dog, and from there she
could see everything of interest, much more com-
fortably than the others who had followed the Yetz
Haada back and forth all day, up and down the hill
many times, and who for hours now had been standing
in the hot sunshine, waiting for the gates of the
trading-post to open.

At last the slave girl noticed a quick movement in
the crowd in front of the stockade. She heard shouts
of joy and excitement as the gates opened wide and
the pushing, fighting throng passed through. Tears
came to Lana’s eyes as she watched, and she sobbed.
But only for a moment, for Koots, the faithful little
dog that lay beside her, whined and moved closer,
licking her cheek with his soft tongue and looking
into her face with bright questioning eyes.

“You are a good little dog, Koots,” Lana cried,