Then he held out his left hand, with the little finger doubled out of sight, and pointed to it with his other hand.
"Mebby heem finger ax'dent--mebby not," he said.
A dozen eager questions brought no further suggestions from Jackpine.

In fact, no sooner had the words fallen from his driver's lips than Howland saw that the Indian was sorry he had spoken them.

What he had said strengthened the conviction which was slowly growing within him.

He had wondered at Gregson's strange demeanor, his evident anxiety to get out of the country, and lastly at his desire not to return to the camp on the Wekusko with him.

There was but one solution that came to him.