82 TJie Home of tJic Wolverene atid Beaver. 



the squaws were unloading the canoes and car- 

 rying the furs up to the fort. 



After a couple of hours had been consumed in 

 the Council Chamber, the party broke up at a 

 signal from Mr. Groves, and the swivels having 

 been fired to intimate that business had commenced, 

 the whole party trooped into the trading house, 

 accompanied by the squaws, who each carried a 

 bundle of furs. Whether Tcte-dc-bois thought that 

 Pierre had forgotten all about the traps, I know 

 not, but appearing to recognise him for the first 

 time, the Indian approached the Canadian with 

 outstretched hand. This was more than honest 

 Pierre could stand, and he dashed the Chief's arm 

 aside with a volley of mingled French, Indian, and 

 English expletives that I must be pardoned for not 

 inserting here. The latter turned an ashy gray 

 colour at the insult, though he only smiled and 

 said, " My brother has taken too much fire-water," 

 yet those best aquainted with the Indian character 

 knew that the trapper had made a deadly and 

 unscrupulous enemy, and none better than Pierre 

 himself, who laughed the warnings of his friends to 

 scorn, saying that he was quite old and ugly enough 

 to take care of himself. 



And now commenced the trading. The building 

 in which this took place was an ample wooden 



