The Chippewa twisted his feet into his snow-shoes, nodded to the white men, and swung away on the back trail in the direction whence our travellers had come.  The girl, without more leave-taking, followed close at his back.  For an instant the crunch of shoes splintered the frosty air.  Then they rounded a bend.  Silence fell swift as a hawk.

“Well, I’ll be damned!” ejaculated Dick at last.  “Do you think he was really up here visiting?”

“No, of course not,” replied Sam.  “Don’t you see—­”

“Then he came after the girl?”

“Good God, no!” answered Sam.  “He—­”

“Then he was after me,” interrupted Dick again with growing excitement.  “Why didn’t you let me shoot him, Sam—­”

“Will you shut up and listen to me?” demanded the old man, impatiently.  “If he’d wanted you, he’d have got you when you were hurt last summer; and if he’d wanted the girl, he’d have got her then, too.  It’s all clear to me.  He has been visiting a friend,—­perhaps his brother, as he said,—­and he did spend less than three days in the visit.  What did he come for?  Let me tell you!  That friend, or brother, is Jingoss, and he came up here to warn him that we’re after him.  The Chippewa suspected us a little on the Missinaibie, but he wasn’t sure.  Probably he’s had his eye on us ever since.”

“But why didn’t he warn this Jingoss long ago, then?” objected Dick.

“Because we fooled him, just as we fooled all the Injuns.  We might be looking for winter posts, just as we said.  And then if he came up here and told Jingoss we were after him, when really we didn’t know beans about Jingoss and his steals, and then this Jingoss should skip the country and leave an almighty good fur district all for nothing, that would be a nice healthy favour to do for a man, wouldn’t it!  No, he had to be sure before he made any moves.  And he didn’t get to be sure until he heard somehow from some one who saw our trails that three people were travelling in the winter up through this country.  Then he piked out to warn Jingoss.”

“I believe you’re right!” cried Dick.

“Of course I’m right.  And another thing; if that’s the case we’re pretty close there.  How many more trappers are there in this district?  Just one!  And since this Chippewa is going back on his back trail within three days after he made it, he couldn’t have gone farther than that one man.  And that one man must be—­”

“Jingoss himself!” finished Dick.

“Within a day and a half of us, anyway; probably much closer,” supplemented Sam.  “It’s as plain as a sledge-trail.”

“He’s been warned,” Dick reminded him.

But Sam, afire with the inspiration of inductive reasoning, could see no objection there.