ROMANCE AND ADVENTURE 3 



"Well, what the dickens are you?" 



"An artist," I replied. 



"Oh, I see! Well ... we need an artist very badly. 

 You'll have the field all to yourself in Spearhead. Besides, 

 your pictures of the fur trade and of pioneer life would eventu- 

 ally become historical and bring you no end of wealth. You 

 had better come. Better decide right away, or some other 

 artist chap will get ahead of you." 



But when I further explained that I was going to spend the 

 winter in the wilderness, that I had already written to the 

 Hudson's Bay Factor at Fort Consolation and that he was 

 expecting me, Spear gloated: 



"Bully boy!" and slapping me on the shoulder, he chuckled: 

 "Why, my town is just across the lake from Fort Consolation. 

 A mere five-mile paddle, old chap, and remember, I extend to 

 you the freedom of Spearhead in the name of its future mayor. 

 And, man alive, I'm leaving for there to-morrow morning in a 

 big four-fathom birch bark, with four Indian canoe-men. Be 

 my guest. It won't cost you a farthing, and we'll make the 

 trip together." 



I gladly accepted. The next morning we started. Free 

 Trader Spear was a character, and I afterward learned that 

 he was an Oxford University man, who, having been 

 "ploughed," left for Canada, entered the service of the Hudson's 

 Bay Company, and had finally been moved to Fort Consola- 

 tion where he served seven years, learned the fur-trade business, 

 and resigned to become a "free trader" as all fur traders are 

 called who carry on business in opposition to "The Great 

 Company." We were eight days upon the trip, but, strange to 

 say, during each day's travel toward Spearhead, his conversa- 

 tion in reference to that thriving town made it appear to grow 

 smaller and smaller, until at last it actually dwindled down to 

 such a point, that, about sunset on the day we were to arrive, he 

 turned to me and casually remarked: 



