“But the others!” interrupted the girl, “the factor and his men!  Why did they allow it?”

Again the gleam of hate flashed in the man’s eyes.  “They allowed it because they are in league with him.  They fear him.  They fear his hold upon the Indians.  So long as he maintains a permanent post a hundred and seventy-five miles to the northward—­more than two hundred and fifty by the water trail—­they know that he will not seriously injure the trade at Fort Rae.  With me it is different.  I trade here, and there, wherever the children of the wilderness are to be found.  Therefore I am hated by the men of the Hudson Bay Company who would have been only too glad had MacNair killed me.”

Chloe, who had listened eagerly to every word, leaped to her feet and looked at Lapierre with shining eyes.  “Oh!  I think it is splendid!  You are brave, and you stand for the right of things!  For the welfare of the Indians!  I see now why the factor warned me against you!  He wanted to discredit you.”

Lapierre smiled.  “The factor?  What factor?  And what did he tell you?”

“The factor at the Landing.  ‘Beware of Pierre Lapierre,’ he said; and when I asked him who Pierre Lapierre was, and why I should beware of him, he shrugged his shoulders and would say nothing.”

Lapierre nodded.  “Ah yes—­the company men—­the factors and traders have no love for the free-trader.  We cannot blame them.  It is tradition.  For nearly two and one-half centuries the company has stood for power and authority in the outlands—­and has reaped the profits of the wild places.  Let us be generous.  It is an old and respectable institution.  It deals fairly enough with the Indians—­by its own measure of fairness, it is true—­but fairly enough.  With the company I have no quarrel.

“But with MacNair—­” he stopped abruptly and shrugged.  The gleam of hate that flashed in his eyes always at the mention of the name faded.  “But why speak of him—­surely there are more pleasant subjects,” he smiled, “for instance your school—­it interests me greatly.”

“Interests you!  I thought it displeased you!  Surely a look of annoyance or suspicion leaped from your eyes when I mentioned my mission.”

The man laughed lightly.  “Yes?  And can you blame me—­when I thought you were in league with Brute MacNair?  For, since his post was established, no independent save myself has dared to encroach upon even the borders of his empire.”

Chloe Elliston flushed deeply.  “And you thought I would league myself with a man like that?”

“Only for a moment.  Stop and think.  All my life I have lived in the North, and, except for a few scattered priests and missionaries, no one has pushed beyond the outposts for any purpose other than for gain.  And the trader’s gain is the Indian’s loss—­for, few deal fairly.  Therefore, when I came upon your big outfit upon the very threshold of MacNair’s domain, I thought, of course, this was some new machination of the brute.  Even now I do not understand—­the expense, and all.  The Indians cannot afford to pay for education.”