FORT SMITH AND THE SOCIAL QUEEN 89 



later saw many hundreds. They killed 16 calves for 

 their pelts, but no old ones. McKay had to use all 

 his influence to keep the Indians from slaughtering 

 wholesale ; indeed, it was to restrain them that he was 

 sent. 



He now lives at Fort Resolution. 



One morning the chief came and said he wanted me 

 to doctor a sick woman in his lodge. I thought sick 

 women a good place for an amateur to draw the line, 

 but Squirrel did not. "II faut venir; elle est bien 

 malade." 



At length I took my pill-kit and followed him. 

 Around his lodge were a score of the huge sled dogs, 

 valuable animals in winter, but useless, sullen, starv- 

 ing, noisy nuisances all summer. If you kick them 

 out of your way, they respect you ; if you pity them, 

 they bite you. They respected us. 



We entered the lodge, and there sitting by the fire 

 were two squaws making moccasins. One was old 

 and ugly as sin; the second, young and pretty as a 

 brown fawn. I looked from one to the other in doubt, 

 and said : 



"Laquelle est la malade?" 



Then the pretty one replied in perfect English: 

 "You needn't talk French here; I speak English/ 7 

 which she certainly did. French is mostly used, but 

 the few that speak English are very proud of it and 

 are careful to let you know. 



"Are you ill? "I asked. 



"The chief thinks I am," was the somewhat impa- 

 tient reply, and she broke down in a coughing fit. 



