188 THE GREAT NORTH-WEST 



the same place it would settle him. However, for another 

 half-hour the light went on in a very lukewarm manner. 

 Then Finnock got in with a terrific blow on his antago- 

 nist's nose, and Jeamy dropped senseless. The bully 

 was mastered, and it took us an hour, and more, to 

 bring him back to his senses. 



All next day he lay in his hut groaning and grunting, 

 and I had to make him a little soup myself, for the 

 vindictive Chinaman would not do it. Jeamy had 

 offended him past forgiveness by nailing his pigtail so 

 firmly to his cook's block that Johnny had to sacrifice 

 some inches of the sublime appendage to get free. As to 

 his boon companions, like the generality of vulgar minds, 

 they turned from the defeated tyrant, and were among 

 the first to give him a bad name. 



Acting on my advice, the first use Mr. Finnock made 

 of his victory was to let the men plainly know that no 

 more drunken idleness would be tolerated. The huts 

 were searched, and all the whisky and rum taken 

 possession of, and, the men only allowed a small quantity 

 when the day's work was over. 



Nothing was seen of Jeamy outside his hut for a few 

 days. Whether he was as much hurt as he seemed to 

 be, or whether he was simply shamefaced, I cannot tell ; 

 but his face was a picture, though in this respect Finnock 

 was almost as bad. One morning he put his head into 

 my hut. " There's no pad plud between you and I, 

 Measter Founteen ? " "Not a di'op," replied I, offering 

 my hand. " Praps you'd pe goot enough to mak me a 

 pair o' snoe-shoes ; ye seem to be a bit dapper hand at 

 that work ? " " Certainly ; with pleasure," I replied. 

 " Are you going to take a trip in the woods ? " " Yes, I 

 theenk a walk wod be goot for me health." I offered to 

 lend him my snow-shoes, saying that I could soon make 

 another pair. He took them ; and that is the last any of 

 us saw of Mr. M'Cullough. When he departed no one 

 knows ; but he went. At first I feared that he might 



