ROMANCE AND ADVENTURE 25 



morning of the 20th. Then Oo-koo-hoo turned to the trader 

 and said : 



"Master, it is getting late and it will be later when I reach 

 my lodge. I am hungry now, and I shall be hungrier still 

 when I get home. I am growing . . ." 



"Aye, aye, ma birkie," interrupted the Factor, "I un'er- 

 staun' fine." He bestowed upon the copfident petitioner a 

 further gratuity of flour, tea, sugar, and tallow, a clay pipe, a 

 plug of tobacco and some matches, so as to save him from 

 having to break in upon his winter suppHes before he started 

 upon his journey to the hunting grounds. Oo-koo-hoo sol- 

 emnly expressed his gratitude: 



" Master, my heart is pleased. You are my father. I shall 

 now hunt well, and you shall have all my fur." 



To show his appreciation of the compliment, the Factor gave 

 him an old shirt, and wished him good luck. 



In the meantime, Oo-koo-hoo's wife had succeeded in ob- 

 taining from the Factor's wife old clothes for her grandchildren, 

 needles and thread, and some food. Just as they got ready to 

 go, the younger woman, Amik's wife, remembered that the 

 baby had brought a duck as a present for the Factor's children 

 so they had to give a present in return, worth at least twice as 

 much as the duck. 



The Factor and his family were by this time sufficiently 

 weary. Right wilhngly did they go down to the landing to see 

 the Indians off. No sooner had these taken their places in the 

 canoes and paddled a few strokes away than the grandmother 

 remembered that she had a present for the Factor and his wife. 

 All paddled back again, and the Factor and his wife were each 

 presented with a pair of moccasins. No, she would not take 

 anything in return, at least, not just now. To-morrow, per- 

 haps, when they came to say good-bye. 



"Losh me! I thocht they were aff an' gane," exclaimed 

 the trader as he turned and strode up the beach. 



