34 



MOOSWA 



Nichemous, the Cree Half-breed, who always 

 keeps his hat tied on with a handkerchief? &quot; 



&quot;I saw him once,&quot; declared Black Fox. 



&quot; Well, he tried to shoot me crept up close 

 to a log I was lying behind, and poked his Iron- 

 stick over it, thinking I was asleep. That was 

 in the Winter I think it was the Second of 

 February : but do you know, sometimes I get 

 my dates mixed. One year I forgot in my sleep, 

 and came out on the First to see what the weather 

 was like. Ha, ha ! fancy that ; coming out on 

 the First and thought it was the Second.&quot; 



&quot; What has that got to do with Nichemous, 

 old Garrulity?&quot; squeaked Whisky-Jack. 



Muskwa licked his gray nose apologetically 

 for having wandered from the subject. &quot; Well, 

 as I have said, it was the Second of February ; I 

 had been lying up all Winter in a tremendously 

 snug nest in a little coulee that runs off Pem- 

 bina River. Hunger ! but I was weak when I 

 came out that day.&quot; 



&quot; I should think you would have been,&quot; sym 

 pathized the Bird, mockingly. 



&quot; I had pains, too ; the hard Red-willow Berries 

 that 1 always eat before I lay up were griping me 

 horribly they always do that they re my 

 medicine, you know.&quot; 



&quot; Muskwa is getting old,&quot; interrupted Jay. 



