24 THE DRAMA OF THE FORESTS 



The Indian now told the trader that he wanted him to send 

 the "Fur Runners" to him with supphes in ten weeks' time; 

 and that he must have a "geese-wark," or measure of days, in 

 order to know exactly when the Fur Runners would arrive at 

 his camp. So the Factor made out the following calendar : 



\-\t iiii)\imiixi 



\V'(S llll>X/imi)^IMM)XmMI XM M 



l\(y6r'iix>Hiiii/.iiiiiixniiu>v«ut?i 



(f^ ^^rvuM. (S/^jo^eAiAx/yA^yajith. 



The above characters to the left are syllabic — a method of 

 writing taught to the Indians by the missionaries. They spell 

 the words September, October, and November. The I's 

 represent week days, and the X's Sundays. The calendar 

 begins with the 18th of September, and the crescent marks the 

 29th of November, the date of the arrival of the Fur Runners. 

 The Indian would keep track of the days by pricking a pin 

 hole every day above the proper figure. 



Presently the Factor and I were alone for a few moments 

 and he growled : 



"Whit d'ye think o' the auld de'il?" 



"Fine, I'll go with him, if he will take me." 



So I had a talk with the old Indian, and when he learned that 

 I had no intention of killing game, but merely wanted to ac- 

 company him and his son-in-law on their hunts, he consented 

 and we came to terms. I was to be ready to start early on the 



