THE FREE TRADER. 17 



of the lakes and rivers, they once more found 

 themselves at the post from whence they re- 

 ceived their outfit. 



From the factor down to the old pensioners, 

 the people of the fort went down to welcome the 

 neAv arrivals. Their advent was heralded by 

 the firing of guns on rounding the point at 

 which they first came in view of the post. On 

 landing a general handshaking was gone thru 

 by the two parties, the factor mentally estimat- 

 ing the probable contents of the rich packs. 



The men, engaged servants, of the post, car- 

 ried up to the house the peltries, while the Free 

 Traders followed the factor to the trade shops 

 where a plug of tobacco for the men and sugar 

 for the women were given out by the clerks and 

 with a generous tot of rum in which to cement 

 their continued friendship, the Free Trader 

 took his departure to put up his tepee and get 

 his family and belongings under cover. 



Later on the servants brought him pork, 

 lard, flour and tea enough for him and his fam- 

 ily for supper and breakfast. No accounts were 

 gone into on the day of arrival. The next morn- 

 ing, however, the Trader repaired to the store 

 with the factor and his clerk, the latter carrying 

 his ledger and day blotter. The pads being un- 

 laced the different kinds of skins were placed in 



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