106 THE GREAT NORTH-WEST 



on the open prairies, where they are attracted by the 

 many grass seeds. The ruby-crest, ReguluA calendula; 

 tree-sparrow, Spizella monticola (a single specimen was 

 shot) ; the pine grosbeak, Pinicola enucleator ; and the 

 rose-breasted grosbeak, Hdbia ludoviciana, in America; 

 Hedymeles virginianus, in England. Besides these we 

 found several of those small passeres, or finches, known 

 in the States as pewees, and ground and swamp sparrows ; 

 but circumstances prevented me from learning their 

 specific names. It is certain that these birds are migra- 

 tory, and before we left this region they had all dis- 

 appeared, having evidently gone south. 



So much for the natural history of this district. 

 Long before the end of September we had collected so 

 many pelts, great and small, that my Indian companions 

 became quite excited at our success. They also became 

 impatient to return home ; and as I had made up my 

 mind to winter in the wilderness, three of my four Indians 

 resolved to leave me ; and forthwith set about making a 

 canoe, a work that is never onerous to an Indian. In 

 three or four days they had completed it, and on the 

 18th September, Chuckochilgegan (Sam), and the two 

 younger men, Natanyan and Otrnasquiloton, left me in 

 the usual phlegmatic Indian fashion. I had expected 

 that Sam's brother, Monchuapiganon, Tom as I called 

 him, would have gone too ; but he did not. Taciturn as 

 he always was, he made no remark, and took no leave 

 of his brother. He scarcely noticed his departure ; but 

 what seems cold-hearted and strange behaviour to us, 

 may not really have been so. It is the Indian way ; and 

 demonstrativeness is always offensive to an Indian. I 

 have much reason to think that Tom remained behind 

 owing to his attachment to me. I have, all through my 

 career, been very fortunate in this respect with my 

 followers, and have generally had at least one member of 

 my party strongly attached to me. Whatever the reason 

 of Tom's faithfulness, it was not solicitation on my part ; 



