FRANCOIS AT THE LANDING 



AS Mooswa tramped down the wide road 

 bed of frozen river, Fra^ois, up at The 

 Landing, was doing very much as the Bull 

 Moose had feared. 



He had weathered the blizzard, lying huddled 

 up with his dogs in the shelter of a cut-bank, not 

 daring to stir even for food till the fury of the 

 icy blast had passed. He had even come to The 

 Landing with a full resolve to go back immedi 

 ately after he had secured his outfit ; alas ! for 

 the carrying out of it, he was but an easily influ 

 enced Half-breed. At The Landing were several 

 of his own kind down from Little Slave Lake 

 with the first kill of Winter fur. With these 

 the possession of money or goods always meant 

 an opportunity for gambling. 



Fra^ois had a &quot; debt credit &quot; at the Hudson s 

 Bay Company s store equal to the value of his 

 needs ; any Trapper who has kept his slate clean 

 in the Company s accounts can usually get credit 

 for a small outfit. 



