TJic Home of the Wolverene and Beaver. 5 1 



centred all his devotion on him, serving and obeying 

 him with the faithfulness of a spaniel dog, and the 

 unreasoning fidelity of a Highland clansman. Mr. 

 Marshall, the powerful English director, had mani- 

 fested such unwonted interest in Paul, that the 

 agent resolved on putting him under the guardian- 

 ship of Lefranc, whose anxiety lest anything should 

 befall his charge was almost laughable to witness. 

 He never took his eyes off him ; if a little spray 

 broke over the gunwale of the canoe, honest Pierre 

 manifested the utmost displeasure and rated the 

 crew so soundly that Paul was obliged to interfere 

 on their behalf; indeed the young man was rather 

 annoyed at being the object of such unwearying 

 solicitude, and longed for the time when he should 

 have learned the manners and customs of the wilds 

 for himself, and be regarded as no longer in need of 

 walking in leading-strings. In appearance Pierre 

 was singularly striking, being of gigantic stature, 

 and having the lower part of his good-natured face 

 concealed by a bushy blonde beard, the admiration 

 of his little wife, a Cree half-breed, who accompanied 

 him everywhere, and was now seated in the canoe 

 with Paul and her herculean husband, who replied 

 to the question addressed to him. 



"Quel est le bruit? Vat is dat noise? Mais, 

 Monsieur Paul, cest la chute — de fall — de great 

 ]) 2 



