Introduction 



THIS simple romance of a simple people, the 

 furred dwellers of the Northern forests, 

 came to me from time to time during the six 

 seasons I spent on the Athabasca and Saskatch 

 ewan Rivers in the far North- West of Canada. 



Long evenings have passed pleasantly, swiftly, 

 as sitting over a smouldering camp-fire I have 

 listened to famous Trappers as they spoke with 

 enthusiastic vividness of the most fascinating life 

 in the world, the fur-winner s calling. 



If the incidents and tales in this book fail of 

 interest the fault is mine, for, coming from their 

 lips, they pleased as did the song of the Minstrel 

 in the heroic past. 



Several of the little tales are absolutely true. 

 Black Fox was trapped as here described, by a 

 Half-breed, Johnnie Groat, who was with me for 

 a season. 



Carcajou has raided, not one, but many shacks 

 through the chimney, as fifty Trappers in the 

 North-West could be brought to testify. The 

 trapping of this clever little animal by means of 



