ROMANCE AND ADVENTURE 19 



of a pound of tea, a plug of tobacco, and some matches. The 

 Factor's generosity was prompted largely by his desire to keep 

 the Indian in good humour. After a little friendly chaffing, the 

 Factor promised to give the hunter advances to the extent of 

 one hundred "skins." 



A "skin," or, as it is often called, a "made beaver," is equiva- 

 lent to one dollar in the Hudson Bay and the Mackenzie River 

 districts, but only fifty cents in the region of the Athabasca. 



Perhaps it should be explained here that while Oo-koo-hoo 

 could speak broken English, he always preferred to use his own 

 language when addressing the trader, whom he knew to be 

 quite conversant with Ojibway, and so, throughout this book, 

 I have chosen to render the Indian's speech as though it was 

 translated from Ojibway into English, rather than at any time 

 render it in broken English, as the former is not only easier to 

 read, but is more expressive of the natural quality of the 

 Indian's speech. In olden days some of the chiefs who could 

 not speak English at all were, it is claimed, eloquent orators — 

 far outclassing our greatest statesmen. 



Oo-koo-hoo, having ascertained the amount of his credit, 

 reckoned that he would use about fifty skins in buying traps 

 and ammunition; the rest he would devote to the purchase of 

 necessaries for himself and his party, as his son-in-law had 

 arranged with him to look after his family's wants in his 

 absence. So the old gentleman now asked for the promised 

 skins. He was handed one hundred marked goose quills repre- 

 senting that number of skins. After checking them over in 

 bunches of ten, he entrusted twenty to his eldest grandson, 

 Ne-geek — The Otter — to be held in reserve for ammunition and 

 tobacco, and ten to his eldest granddaughter, Neykia, with 

 which to purchase an outfit for the rest of the party. 



For a long time Oo-koo-hoo stood immersed in thought. 

 At last his face brightened. He had reached a decision. For 

 years he had coveted a new muzzle-loading gun, and he felt 



