8 THE DRAMA OF THE FORESTS 



was a great medicine man. When Narphim grew to be eleven 

 years old he became a hunter, and first traded his catch at 

 Island Lake; then as the years went by, at Oxford House; 

 then at Norway House, then at Fort Chepewyan, and then 

 at Fort McMurray. After that he went to Lesser Slave Lake, 

 then on to the Peace River at Dunvegan, then he showed 

 up at Fort St. John, next at Battle River, and finally at 

 Vermilion. 



"The following is a list of the number of creatures Narphim 

 killed, but of course he also killed a good deal of game that 

 was never recorded in the Company's books, especially those 

 animals whose skins were used for the clothing of the hunter's 

 family. 



"Bears 585, beaver 1,080, ermines 130, fishers 195, red 

 foxes 362, cross foxes 78, silver and black foxes 6, lynxes 418, 

 martens 1,078, minks 384, muskrats 900, porcupines 19, otters 

 194, wolves 112, wolverines 24, wood buffaloes 99, moose 396, 

 caribou 196, jumping deer 72, wapiti 156, mountain sheep 60, 

 mountain goats 29; and rabbits, approximately 8,000, wild 

 fowl, approximately 23,800, and fish approximately 36,000. 

 Total 74,573. 



"Yes, Narphim was a great hunter and a good man," says 

 the Factor in his last letter to me. "He was a fine, active, 

 well-built Indian and a reliable and pleasant companion. In 

 fact, he was one of Nature's gentlemen, whom we shall be, and 

 well may be, proud to meet in the Great Beyond, known as the 

 Happy Hunting Grounds." 



Thus the evening drifted by. While the names of several 

 of the best hunters had been mentioned as suitable men for 

 me to accompany on their hunting trail, it was suggested that 

 as the men themselves would probably visit the Post in the 

 morning, I should have a chat with them before making my 

 selection. Both Mackenzie and Spear, however, seemed 

 much in favour of my going with an Indian called Oo-koo-hoo. 



