“What’s the trouble between you two?”

They looked at each other, and then away.  Joe turned unexpectedly, and shambled off in the direction of the village.  Not a word out of Anna as she returned by the side of her protector, but every now and then she looked at him sideways.  The Boy felt her inexpressive gratitude, and was glad his journey had been delayed, or else, poor devil—­

Joe had stopped to speak to—­

“Who on earth’s that white woman?”

“Nicholas’ sister.”

“Not Muckluck?”

She nodded.

“What’s she dressed like that for?”

“Often like that in summer.  Me, too—­me got Holy Cross clo’es.”

Muckluck went slowly up towards the Kachime with Joe.  When the others got to the water-hole, Anna turned and left the Boy without a word to go and recover her pail.  The Boy stood a moment, looking for some sign of the Colonel, and then went along the river bank to Ol’ Chief’s.  No, the Colonel had gone back to the Kachime.

The Boy came out again, and to his almost incredulous astonishment, there was Joe dragging the unfortunate Anna towards an ighloo.  As he looked back, to steer straight for the entrance-hole, he caught sight of the Boy, dropped his prey, and disappeared with some precipitancy into the ground.  When Anna had gathered herself up, the Boy was standing in front of her.

“You don’t seem to be able to take very good care o’ yourself.”  She pushed her tousled hair out of her eyes.  “I don’t wonder your own people give it up if you have to be rescued every half-hour.  What’s the matter with you and Joe?” She kept looking down.  “What have you done to make him like this?” She looked up suddenly and laughed, and then her eyes fell.

“Done nothin’.”

“Why should he want to kill you, then?”

“No kill” she said, smiling, a little rueful and embarrassed again, with her eyes on the ground.  Then, as the Boy still stood there waiting, “Joe,” she whispered, glancing over her shoulder—­“Joe want me be he squaw.”

The Boy fell back an astonished step.

“Jee-rusalem!  He’s got a pretty way o’ sayin’ so.  Why don’t you tell your father?”

“Tell—­father?” It seemed never to have occurred to her.

“Yes; can’t Yagorsha protect you?”

She looked about doubtfully and then over her shoulder.

“That Joe’s ighloo,” she said.

He pictured to himself the horror that must assail her blood at the sight.  Yes, he was glad to have saved any woman from so dreadful a fate.  Did it happen often? and did nobody interfere?  Muckluck was coming down from the direction of the Kachime.  The Boy went to meet her, throwing over his shoulder, “You’d better stick to me, Anna, as long as I’m here.  I don’t know, I’m sure, what’ll happen to you when I’m gone.”  Anna followed a few paces, and then sat down on the snow to pull up and tie her disorganized leg-gear.