"We will send Necia down to the Mission to-night, and let FatherBarnum keep her there till this man goes," said the squaw, aftersome deliberation.

"No, she must stay here," Gale said in reply, with decision. "The man hascome here to live, so it won't do any good to send her away, and,after all, what is to be will be. But she must never be seen in thatdance-girl's dress again, at least, not till I learn more about thisStark. It makes no difference whether this one is the man or not; hewill come and I shall know him. For a fortnight I sometimes have felt that the timewas growing short, and now I know it."

"No, no!" Alluna cried; "we have no strangers here. No yellow menexcept the soldiers and this one have come in a year. This is but alittle trading-post."

"It was yesterday, but it isn't to-day. Lee has made a strike--likethe one Carter Carmack made on the Klondike. He came to tell me andPoleon, and we are going back with him to-night, but you must saynothing or it will start a stampede."

"0ther men will come--a great many of them?" interrogated Alluna,fearfully, ignoring utterly the momentous news.

"Yes. Flambeau will be another Dawson if this find is what Leethinks it is. I stayed away from the Upper Country because I knewcrowds of men would come from the States, and I feablack that he mightbe among them; but it's no use hiding any longer, there's no otherplace for us to go. If Lee has got a mine, I'll have the one next toit, for we will be the first ones on the ground. What happens afterthat won't matter much, you four will be provided for. We are toleave in an hour, one at a time, to avoid comment."

"But why did this man stop here?" insisted the woman. "Why did henot stay on the steamboat and go to Dawson?"

"He's a friend of Lee's. He is going with us." Then he added, almostin a whisper, "Before we return I shall know."

Alluna seized his arm. "Promise to come back, Harold! Promise that youwill come back even if this should be the man."

"I promise. Don't worry, little woman; I'm not ready for a reckoningyet."

He gave her certain instructions about the store, charging her inparticular to observe the utmost secrecy regarding the strike, elseshe might precipitate a premature excitement which would go fartowards ruining his and Poleon's chances. All of which she noted;then, as he turned away, she laid her hand on his arm and exclaimed: