284 THE DRAMA OF THE FORESTS 



to gain the shore. They overhauled him. He turned at 

 bay. The daughter soused a blanket in the water and threw 

 it over his head. The mother in the stern reached over as the 

 canoe glided by, seized him by an ear as he struggled blindly 

 beneath the smothering mantle, and drove her knife into his 

 throat. A broad circle of crimson coloured the water round the 

 blanket. The canoe was quickly brought about; the mother 

 slipped a noose over his head, and in triumph they towed the 

 carcass to their camp. 



On the last morning of our trip there was a flutter of pleasant 

 excitement among our little party; and by the time the sun 

 appeared and breakfast was over, everybody was laughing and 

 talking, for we had made such progress that we expected to 

 reach Fort Consolation by ten o'clock that forenoon. Quickly 

 we loaded the canoes again, and away we paddled. In a few 

 hours the beautiful expanse of God's Lake appeared before us. 

 When we sighted the old fort, a joyous shout rang out; paddles 

 were waved overhead, and tears of joy rose to the eyes of the 

 women — and of some of the men. 



Going ashore, we quickly made our toilets, donning our very 

 finest in order to make a good appearance on our arrival at 

 the Fort — as is the custom of the Northland. Bear's grease 

 was employed with lavish profusion, even Oo-koo-hoo and Amik 

 and the boys using it on their hair; while the women and girls 

 greased and wove their tresses into a single elongated braid 

 which hung down behind. The men put on their fancy silk- 

 worked moccasins; tied silk handkerchiefs about their necks — 

 the reverse of cow-boy fashion — and beaded garters around 

 their legs; while the women placed many brass rings upon their 

 fingers, bright plaid shawls about their shoulders, gay silk 

 handkerchiefs over their heads, and beaded leggings upon their 

 legs. How I regretted I had not brought along my top-hat — 

 that idiotic symbol of civilization — for if I could have worn it 

 on that occasion, the Indians at Fort Consolation would have 



