PETER BASKET. 249 



She handed him his pipe from the chimney corner, and as 

 he puffed in silence, she said to their daughter, " Nancy, 

 here is the old man come back with a new hat." A day 

 or two after Peter might have been seen in front of his 

 camp making himself a canoe. This is the true history 

 of Peter Basket. Now Sam Soap was the interpreter, 

 and a sly fellow to boot ; and on one occasion, when the 

 priest told his congregation " that unless he was better 

 paid not a soul would ever get out of purgatory," Sam 

 interpreted into Micmac, adding, "that every one who did 

 not give interpreter a dollar, would go to hell sure." Peter, 

 after his travels, knew too much for Sam. So the latter 

 made a bold move and spread a report that Antichrist had 

 come into the Mission. There was division among the 

 Micmacs, half arrayed themselves under Sam, the re- 

 mainder followed Peter, and the strife was internecine. 

 The question was, " Is Peter Basket, Peter Basket ; or is 

 he Antichrist in Peter's form?" I don't know that the 

 matter is settled yet. Although not involving such large 

 stakes as the famous Tichborne trial in England, as a 

 case of identity it is equally interesting. Mrs. Basket 

 sticks to it that he is he, which is to say the least of it 

 strong prima facie evidence for Peter. 



The Indians are always glad to hire with a sportsman ; 

 they are ready, willing, hard-working fellows ; know 

 every inch of the country, and generally do their best to 

 show their employers sport. On these occasions, so far 

 from being taciturn, they are just the reverse, and sitting 

 over the camp fire at night they spin many queer old 

 yarns. The following is a specimen of one of their legends, 

 which, however, loses much in my language. Here it is : 



