xii FOREWORD 



Hudson's Bay Company Reports on Canada. It has been copied 

 and re-copied, stolen and re-stolen ; and yet to-day, owing to the 

 increase of animal life in some sections, the extermination in other 

 sections, it is no longer correct. The map I present to-day has been 

 revised and to be correct, will have to be re-revised again to-morrow. 



And even the most experienced naturalists disagree, as you will 

 see if you follow Coues and Hornaday, or Dr. Young on Persian 

 Lamb and the Biological Reports of the U. S. Government. I had 

 a funny experience of this, when I first told the Story of the Trapper 

 years ago. I met a lifelong independent dealer on Peace River. 



"Say," he said, "you are dead wrong. Whoever put that fake 

 over on you about ermine ? Trappers never in all time caught an 

 ermine by smearing an axe with grease." 



I had the story from a chief factor born on MacKenzie River, 

 and from his daughter, who played with Indian children on Mac- 

 Kenzie River. I think I told it first in the Youth's Companion and 

 later in Outing. We fought it out and parted good friends, but in 

 revising this book, I had decided to take that paragraph out as 

 doubtful, when I met my same friend. 



"Say," he said, "do you know those people were right? I saw 



the Indians' kids doing that very thing last winter down ," he 



mentioned some MacKenzie River point I have forgotten. 



And so while I wish to express my deep gratitude to all helpers 

 and informants of facts, / wish to take on my own shoulders any re- 

 sponsibility for inaccuracies, knowing well the older I grow how little 

 we all know of the secrets of animal life and fur-bearing denizens of 

 the wilds. Only the study-chair naturalist has a monopoly to abso- 

 lute accuracy in knowledge of the fur bearer's life ; and I have 

 not written this volume as either a naturalist, or a fur trader, but 

 only a passionate lover of the great outdoors, who regards the fur 

 trade as one of the best untold stories of American adventure in the 

 wilds and in industry. The adventures and romance are just as 

 fascinating in the trade as on the hunting field. 



A. C. L. 



