After a little Mrs.
Drew received a grateful letter of thanks from the princess mother at Wabinosh House, and thus a pleasant correspondence sprang up between the two.
There were now few lonely hours for the two boys.

During the long winter evenings, when Roderick was through with his day's work and Wabi had completed his studies, they would sit before the fire and the Indian youth would describe the glorious life of the vast northern wilderness; and day by day, and week by week, there steadily developed within Rod's breast a desire to see and live that life.

A thousand plans were made, a thousand adventures pictured, and the mother would smile and laugh and plan with them.
But in time the end of it all came, and Wabi went back to the princess mother, to Minnetaki, and to his forests.

There were tears in the boys' eyes when they parted, and the mother cried for the Indian boy who was returning to his people.

Many of the days that followed were painful to Roderick Drew.