lis 





CHAPTER VI. 



(5^^^^^^Y father, while yet a Lid, had gahied 

 r^/^H^ft?! the reputation of being one of the 

 y^J^fJ.f^ most active Coiirairs des bo is in 

 ^«^ Upper Canada, having penetrated as 

 far as lake Athabasca at a time when 

 hostile tribes rendered the service one of 

 great danger. I could tell you some of 

 his escapes which would make your hair 

 stand on end, and the wonder is that he never left 

 hu in the camps of the Crees, Blackfeet, or 

 Assiniboines, by all of whom he was succebsively 

 pursued, and indeed once made a prisoner, only 

 gaining his freedom by a miracle. He had just 

 returned from the above journey, and the prestige 

 he had acquired was still fresh, when the news of a 

 gigantic undertaking set on foot by ]\Ir. John Jacob 

 Astor, reached Montreal, and threw the whole fur- 

 trading community into a fever of expectation." 



But before returning to Pierre's story, a few 

 words concerning this remarkable man become 

 necessary. 



H 2 



