noon
`` Miskodeed . '' The girl moved swiftly to him and with a gesture that was almost royal the Indian pointed to a pile of trade goods heaped upon the long counter . The girl gathered as much as was possible in her arms , and staggered with her load from the store , and as Factor Rodwell nodded to him , Hubert Stane moved up the counter , and began to give his order . The factor wrote it down without comment , glancing at his customer from time to time with shrewd appraising eyes , and when Stane had paid for the goods which were to be ready before noon , he asked a question . `` New to the district , are n't you ? '' `` I wintered here , '' replied Stane briefly . `` Then you did no trapping , '' said the factor with a laugh , `` or you 'd have brought your pelts in .