FORTS AND POSTS. 49 



always safe for a small party to be caught far 

 afield. Great massive, barred gates opened into 

 the fort, in the leaves of one side a wicket placed 

 for the entrance and departure of men afoot, 

 and it was thru this wicket an Indian and his 

 wife were admitted with their furs to trade. 

 When they were finished bartering and de- 

 parted, two others were allowed in and so it 

 went on. 



The trade shop was so constructed that the 

 Indian and his wife did their barter at the end 

 of a long narrow passage, at the end of which a 

 square hole was cut in the logs, behind w r hich 

 the trader stood with an assistant to fetch the 

 goods required by the purchaser. The display 

 of goods on the shelves was invisible to the In- 

 dian, but it was not necessary he should see 

 them inasmuch as there being no great variety, 

 everything being staple and the same from year 

 to year, manufactured of the best material ex- 

 pressly for the Company. 



The trade shop was always built near the 

 gate and the guard at the wicket, after ad- 

 mitting the would-be purchaser of supplies, 

 locked and barred the gate and conducted them 

 to the entrance of the passageway along which 

 all they had to do was to travel until they 

 reached the trader at the end. 



