Part 12 (1/2)

”Loving hands quickly arranged and covered up as left of the two children, and efforts were made to comfort the poor mother in her terrible sorroift runners were sent away to Kinesasis, to tell hi hiin to weep she would die When Kinesasis heard the news he too was nearly heart-broken, but when he reached his am and beheld Shakoona he crushed down his own sorrow to try and coreat bereavement had come to her, suffered much more than he For days and days Shakoona was as one in a dreareat eyes, so sad and dry, seemed to haunt all who visited her All said she soon would die unless she got relief They tried th a kindly Indian woirls, hom her little ones used to play At first Shakoona seemed pained by their presence, but as they looked into those sad eyes they began weeping, and, childlike, they threw their arms around her and wept Passively at first she received these fondlings, but soon the children's caresses broke down the barriers, and the hot tears began to flow; and the woman was saved from death or insanity But her hair turned white shortly afterward, and she has ever since been that sad little woman that you have seen her Kinesasis has never been cruel to her, as, alas! too an Indian husbands are to their wives”

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

THE BEAVERS, AND SOMETHING ABOUT THEM--TWO HUNTERS AT SAGASTA-WEEKEE--A GENERAL INVITATION TO A BEAVER HUNT ACCEPTED--THE PREPARATIONS--THE TRIP--DOG-TRAVELLING IN THE WOODS--SAUCY WILD ANIMALS--THE WOLF'S COVE-- THE BOYS' PLUNGE IN THE SNOWDRIFT--THE RESCUE

The beaver is a very interesting anih to see a colony of beavers at work during a beautiful ht They had also subsequently exaenious creatures had made, and were much amazed and surprised not only at its size, but also at the clever way in which every part of it was constructed to ht occur by flood or freshet

They also noticed that the Indians did very little hunting of the beaver, or, indeed, of any of the rich fur-bearing ani the summer months Noever, that the winter had come they were all alert and active, and as soon as their fall fisheries were co preparations for the winter harvest of furs On their success in a great measure depended the happiness and comfort of themselves and their families They lived too far north to cultivate the land with any degree of success, and hence it was only by the sale of their furs that they were able to buy the essential necessaries for their simple lives

The fur is only considered prime in the winter months That killed in summer is thin and poor, and for it the hunters receive but a low price

But when the cold weather sets in, the fur becomes thick and valuable

Then the hunters leave their horounds, often hundreds of miles away Many are their hardshi+ps and privations They take but little food with them, and so have to depend on what they can hunt or shoot In so aniood for food are very few

The result so the rich furs of the black and silver foxes, otters,ani most of the ti abundance of beavers, wild cats, muskrats, and bears, live very well, as all of these anih their furs do not bring as high a price as the others

The discovery of a large beaver house is a great piece of good luck to an Indian hunter Sometimes, when the house is a small one, a hunter ith his axe only put his mark of ownershi+p on a tree near by, then leave it undisturbed Scores of hunters , but when they see that et those beavers

It ain leave it for the beaver to multiply the third time Each year the beavers are undisturbed they take down and enlarge their house, until, if thus left for years, and the daood and the water supply sufficient, they will continue extending their habitation until it is as large as a good- sized haystack

There caasta-weekee, on a visit, a couple of clever Indian hunters ere great friends of Mr Ross Ahts away they had a large beaver house which they had preserved for three years, and that they were soon going to take out the beavers This was just the news Mr Ross wanted to hear, as he had often talked with the boys about these wonderful animals, and was anxious that they should see how the cleverness of the hunters outacity of the beavers

Then, as it was about a hundred ive them some idea of the Indian hunter's life They would have to camp out in the wintry forest, and would thus find the difference between sleeping in the su in the wintry cold, with the spirit ther fifty below zero

When the boys heard of the promised trip they ith excitement

As much preparation had to be made, the day selected to start was about a week after the visit of the two Indians It was indeed a busy week

Each of the three boys was to take his dog-train They would be expected to take on their own sleds their beds, clothing, and part of the supplies Snowshoes were ently practiced this newtumbles Sometimes, where the snowdrifts were deep, when they atteet the snowshoes so tangled up that over they would go on their heads The ht, fleecy snow, until it see was visible but a pair of snowshoes wildly wobbling about Then the experienced Indian who always accoracefully on his own snowshoes to the struggling lad, he would reach down and, seizing him under the arms, would quickly lift hihter of the others Thus they practiced and fell, tried again and again, until the knack was acco very nicely

In themade indoors for this excursion to the hoshoes were e moccasins for the travellers

In due time the start was made It was to the boys a uide, a stalwart Indian, who could easily keep ahead of the fastest train It is the duty of the guide, by running on in front, to indicate the best route He s with the heavy sleds to follow

If he finds a great fallen tree in the way it is his duty, not to jump over the trunk and push on, but to circle around it where the party following can easily advance In rocky places he , and walk or run where there is an available trail He ether that there will be any difficulty for the widest sled following to pass between theth or weakness of the weakest train or runner, and soplace In his footsteps all are to ireat responsibility As a natural result, he is supposed to receive -driver, who has notthe first trip made in this direction this season, there was not the least vestige of a road or trail Tornado blasts had swept through the forests which abounded most of the way The result was that fallen trees were very nuether that it was at tiet around theuide carried with hiun

An old, experienced, powerful train of dogs went first The sagacious leader never swerved fro or difficult the trail, he never wandered froht ahead, while the path seeuide ahead reater effort and speed, still he knew his duty was to keep in the well-defined track A straight cut to the guide ully or over a steep precipice So, knowing his duty, perhaps taught it by bitter experience--and dogs have long like way to do his duty

Mr Ross's train followed next They were jet-black in colour, and were large, s They were so trained that they as readily responded to his calls as a good horse does to the pulling of the reins

Then following caest dogs, had the lead Sahtest but by far the fleetest train in the whole party Behind was another sled of Mr Ross's withup the rear, was a sled belonging to the two Indians ned the beaver house While one of them drove the train, the other, on account of the many fallen trees in the way that had to be cut out, was on ahead with Meuide

As they thus set off they made quite a display The boys were simply ith the excitement of the hour They looked very picturesque in their handsome outfits Their deerskin suits, over the war, were very beautiful, as they were made under Mrs Ross's direction by the most clever Indian women They were beautifully adorned with bead and silkwork and trimmed with fur Their overcoats, as before stated, were made of the heavy white blankets of the Hudson Bay Company These blankets are very warm and firm, as they are especially made for that cold country The caps and mittens were of the finest fur Their e, to allow for the additional wrapping of duffel required over the oollen hose They also had wared and fastened with strong garters artistically worked with porcupine quills A warm, well- lined hood or capote was attached to each overcoat This the boys found of very great service and cos were unable to keep the heads of their sleds, at tiainst soreat quantities ca about them But for these capotes much of the snoould have found its way into their faces and down under the collars of their coats

To be like the rest of the party, the lads were each the possessor of a fine dog-whip Of course, they were not so long and heavy as those ordinarily used, but they could, ell handled, make a pistol-like crack, and for this purpose only were they used

The first few miles of the route were on the ice over places well-known to all, as in their frequent outings they had gone in this direction