THE CARING FOR THE BOY 225 



Carcajou dropped three billets that Umisk had 

 cut down the chimney, Roderick laughed. He 

 was a King in delirium-land, and when he wanted 

 anything all he had to do was pray, and the angels 

 would send it. 



Sometimes the sticks of wood rolled out on 

 the floor as they clattered down these The Boy 

 put to one side. 



&quot; I suppose the angels won t come in the 

 night, he whispered ; then laughed. It was a 

 grotesque idea, but the fire was kept blazing. 



He had no rational thought of eating ; when 

 he felt hunger-pains he fried a little of the bacon 

 and ate it. Sometimes he made a batter of flour 

 and water, cooking the mixture in a frying-pan 

 over the fire turning out an almost impossible 

 kind of pancake. 



&quot; He acts like Wapoos in the early Spring,&quot; 

 Whisky-Jack told Mooswa : &quot; laughs, and whistles, 

 and cries, and sobs ; but he eats, which is a good 

 thing, and is also warm. I never thought that 

 crop-eared Hunchback, Carcajou, had goodness 

 enough in him to do anything for anybody.&quot; 



&quot; He s like yourself, Whisky-Jack, a bit of a 

 th sharp-tongued fellow, I mean&quot; (thief, he 

 was going to say, but checked himself just in 

 time), &quot; and full of queer tricks, but good-hearted 

 enough when a Comrade is in trouble. How 



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