See aaa aeaC isa Geie ee amereeracoa Sass alee ie Pate as So wg a — mon
Sra tl pers Spee Eien PRR RRS Re sat aR Te aaa ee aes a oe SE ae CELE eT Pe

Soave

——
eS ee Beale ee

eae ee

-¢{ To CARIBOO AND BACK }-

canoe which Mary was sure she would find
hidden under the bank, close to where they
were.
So as soon as she made sure her own Betty
was safe, she picked up the baby, buffalo skin
and all, and without a word to any one made her
way to the bank of the river and looked down
where it dropped steeply to the water. Sure
enough, in among the shadows she could see the
outline of a canoe and in it was a squaw huddled
squatting in the middle. Mary scrambled down
the bank.

“Here’s your baby,” she said to the Indian
woman and reached the bundle towards her.

The squaw clutched at it and made a quick
examination to be sure she was not being de-
ceived. She found nothing wrong; the infant
slept peacefully and even its mother’s pas-
sionate hugs did not wake it.

“My little girl took him,” said Mary. “She
could not find you, and the baby was all alone.”

The woman seemed to understand and was
content. She gave a shrill yell to her man.
Mary judged that she was telling him in the
Indian tongue that their papoose was safe, was
there, and no harm done.

[168]