234: THE STORY OF THE TRAPPER 



katchewan. One was an Englishman who had been 

 long in the service of the Hudson s Bay Company and 

 knew all the animals of the north. The second was 

 the guide, a French-Canadian, and the third a Sandy, 

 fresh &quot; frae oot the land o heather/ The men were 

 wakened one night by the noise of some animal scram 

 bling through the window into their cabin and rum 

 maging in the dark among the provisions. The 

 Frenchman sprang for a light and Sandy got hold of 

 his gun. 



&quot; Losh, mon, it s a wee bit beastie a strip t black 

 and white wi a tail like a so dier s cocade! &quot; 



That information brought the Englishman to his 

 feet howling, &quot; Don t shoot it! Don t shoot it! Leave 

 that thing alone, I tell you! &quot; 



But Sandy being a true son of Scotia with a Pres 

 byterian love of argument wished to debate the ques 

 tion. 



&quot; An what for wu d a leave it eating a the oat 

 meal? Ill no leave it rampagin th eatables I wull 

 be pokin it oot! shoo! shoo!&quot; 



At that the Frenchman flung down the light and 

 bolted for the door, followed by the English trader 

 cursing between set teeth that before &quot; that blunder 

 ing blockhead had argued the matter&quot; something 

 would happen. 



Something did happen. 



Sandy came through the door with such precipitate 

 haste that the topmost beam brought his head a mighty 

 thwack, roaring out at the top of his voice that the 

 deil was after him for a the sins that iver he had 

 committed since he was born. 



