But Desire knew her Indian.
"It isn't what he is, but what he knows," she explained.

"And he has a retiring nature." So very retiring was it that only fair words, aided by tactful displays of tea and tobacco, could penetrate its reservations.

Desire was quite unhurried.

But presently she began to extract bits of carefully hidden knowledge.

It had to be slow work, for, witless as he of the hawk-eye seemed, he was well aware of the value (in tobacco) of a wise conservation.