MEN FOR THE SERVICE. 55 



parties, from either of which it was supposed I 

 might get the men required. They came at 

 last ; and two Canadians, former acquaintances 

 of mine, presented themselves, almost breathless 

 with haste, as candidates for the service. Their 

 merits being known to me, I made no scruple 

 about receiving them, and directed their agree- 

 ments to be made out. In the meantime, how- 

 ever, returning to the camp, they were met by 

 their wives, who were no sooner made acquainted 

 with the transaction than thev resorted to dif- 

 ferent, though as it seems equally efficacious, 

 methods of diverting them from their purpose. 

 The one, a good strapping dame, cuffed her 

 husband's ears with such dexterity and good 

 will, that he was fain to cry peccavi, and seek 

 shelter in a friendly tent ; the other, an in- 

 teresting girl of seventeen, burst into tears, and 

 with piteous sobs clung to the husband of her 

 love, as if she would hold him prisoner in her 

 arms. I had therefore to look elsewhere; and it 

 was not until the 26th, that George Sinclair 

 (born in the country, and an admirable steers- 

 man) engaged on similar terms with M'Kay. 

 There now wanted but one ; and this deficiency 

 was with great kindness supplied by Mr. Came- 

 ron's allowing me to take an Iroquois belonging 

 to the Company, on condition that if he went 



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