A POTENT BEVERAGE. 269 



then handed the bottle and cup to the Indian, who 

 came up panting and perspiring. The chief gave 

 a grunt and threw his pack on the ground. Taking 

 the proffered cup and bottle, he set the cup on the 

 ground and turned the bottle to his lips, swallowing 

 half its contents at one gulp. He returned the 

 bottle with a sigh and said : 



"Nickoshin." 



Dyche explained by signs that it was " nickoshin " 

 for Maypuck but not for the others. The chief un- 

 derstood and grinned, and said not a word about the 

 bottle when the rest of the party came stringing in. 

 As a reward Dyche afterwards allowed him to finish 

 the bottle. Dyche no longer wondered at the ability 

 of an Indian's stomach to digest cartilages and even 

 small bones, for a stomach that could stand half a 

 bottle of strong extract of ginger at one swallow 

 could digest almost anything. The Indians all reached 

 camp at last and fell to talking and gesticulating 

 about the wonderfully fast walking of the white 

 man. Not one of them showed the least sign of 

 displeasure at the incident, but, on the contrary, they 

 seemed to think more of Dyche for his great endur- 

 ance and speed. 



The party had now been out two weeks, and it was 

 decided to return to the village. The toboggans were 

 loaded and hauled within ten miles of the lake and 

 then unceremoniously left standing on the trail, while 

 the Indians went on to their homes and sent their 

 squaws to bring in the spoils of the chase. Dyche 

 now spent his time preparing his specimens for ship- 

 ment, and meantime he was constantly surrounded 



