8o The Home of the Wolverene and Beaver. 



to come to business, and soon the gate was thrown 

 open, and the Indians entered to the number of 

 eighteen, for the other canoes had arrived within a 

 few minutes of the first one. Paul looked with the 

 utmost curiosity at these children of the forest, who 

 showed none of the taciturnity and sullen reserve 

 that his book-lore on the subject had led him to 

 expect. They shook hands with Groves, Pierre, 

 and such others of the white men as were known to 

 them, and joyfully accepted the invitation from the 

 officer to smoke and lighten their hearts with a 

 little rum. Neither was the dress of the Ojibbeways 

 such as Paul had anticipated ; they wore deer-skins 

 and moccasins it is true, but their attire had none 

 of the flowing grace that he had al\va}'s imagined 

 was the distinctive element in an Indian toilette. 

 The fact was that he had forgotten that he was 

 amongst the Wood Indians, and not their brethren 

 of the plains and prairies. The latter are always 

 mounted, and therefore the tufts, of hair and other 

 finery that adorns their persons is no impediment 

 to their movements, whereas, if a Wood Indian 

 indulged in such vanities he would be hung up in 

 every bush, and would stand but a poor chance of 

 stealing silently upon deer or any other game. 



A large building had been held in readiness for 

 the arrival of the Indians, and thither they all 



