76 INTELLIGENCE OF SLEIGH-DOGS. 



point was the finding of difficult trails, and now, though the 

 snow had covered the trail we had made in coming and had 

 made the whole prairie level, yet this dog kept to our old 

 road the whole way, rendering it unnecessary to beat a track 

 for him. The old trail was only some three inches under- 

 neath, and when he got oft' it he was in deep snow at once, 

 but this I never saw him do with more than his fore feet 

 during the whole ninety miles, and yet our trail was very 

 winding, going round clumps of bushes, trees, &c. continu- 

 ally. If I had been racing I should have put my favourite 

 dog " Jumper " in front, as he was much the most active dog 

 I had, and thoroughly knew what he had to do. My man took 

 as much pride in this team as coachmen do in their horses, and 

 considered them the fastest team on the river, which they pro- 



% 



bably were. 



Hearing that we were leaving the country, all the Indians 

 within twenty miles came in, hoping to get presents, and 

 amongst others came Ki-chi-mo-ko-man. Now this Indian 

 had hunted with me on several occasions, and though he 

 seemed to think that I went to cut wood &c. for him, still 

 we had always got on well together, and I had made up my 

 mind to give him a good many presents ; so I called him in 

 one morning and, telling him that I was much obliged to him 

 for all he had done for me, and that I hoped I might meet 

 him again on some future occasion, I gave him a splendidly- 

 coloured blanket, with brilliant stripes at the ends, an axe, two 

 hunting-knives, and a number of small things. He thanked 

 me very earnestly, and said that he should always remember 

 his white brother, and a great deal more to the same effect, and 

 then gathered up his presents, which were a large armful, and 



