THE BUILDING OF THE SHACK 75 



&quot; I heard RoPs hoarse bay as he called across 

 the Pelican to some one. Here is Nekik s 

 trail, where his belly has scraped all the mud 

 spots.&quot; 



&quot;Aren t we a funny lot?&quot; giggled Wapoos. 

 &quot; Mooswa s legs are like the posts of Man s 

 cache so long ; and Otter s are like the knots 

 on a tree too short. See ! there goes Black 

 King and his red-headed Mother.&quot; 



&quot; That is the queerest outfit in the Boundaries,&quot; 

 chuckled Muskwa. &quot; The Widow is red, and 

 three of the Sons ; the Babe, Stripes, is brown, 

 with a dark cross on his back; while the King is 

 as black as my Daddy was. Sweet Honey ! but 

 his coat was beautiful like the inside of a hole 

 on a pitch-dark night. There is a family of 

 Half-breeds up at The Landing just like the 

 Widow s lot. Some are red-haired, some are 

 brown, and some are black. I saw them once 

 Fishing at Duck Lake.&quot; 



&quot; Did they see you, Muskwa? &quot; 



&quot;Am I not here, Little Brother therefore 

 their eyes were busy with the Fish. Wu-u-f-f ! 

 I catch the scent of Man. Jump down, Wapoos ; 

 push through the Willows and tell me what thou 

 seest.&quot; 



Bear sat on his haunches and waited. 



&quot; There s a white lodge,&quot; reported Rabbit, as 



