LIFE AND LOVE RETURN 289 



masses, anyway, when Free Trader Spear had made them a 

 standing offer of all the prayers they wanted free of charge, 

 provided that he, Oo-koo-hoo, would trade with him. He 

 added that he had half a mind to accept Spear's offer, just to 

 spite the priest. 



So after meditating for a while upon his steadfast belief 

 that any fool of an Indian is better than a white man, and that 

 the only good white men are the dead ones, he got into his 

 canoe and paddled across the lake to interview the opposition 

 trader. 



When he told Spear what a splendid black fox he had, and 

 how the priest had already offered him a hundred skins for 

 it, the Free Trader said : 



"I'll give you a hundred and ten for it," and the old repro- 

 bate added, "and I'll throw into the bargain half-a-dozen 

 prayers for the women." 



The offer was at once accepted. On handing over the goods 

 to Oo-koo-hoo, the trader asked where the black fox was, and 

 was told that it was in keeping of the priest. So without delay 

 Mr. Spear paddled back with The Owl to get the skin. When 

 the priest learned how the hunter had stolen a march on him, 

 he was righteously indignant ; but he dared not complain, since 

 he was not supposed to deal in furs. There was nothing to do 

 but hand over the magnificent skin to the Free Trader although 

 he knew right well that in London or Paris it would bring 

 twenty times the price paid for it. 



Next day old Granny came crying to Oo-koo-hoo and com- 

 plaining that the priest had refused to officiate at the wedding 

 on the day agreed upon. The nuns had told her that his re- 

 fusal was due to his determination to discipline The Owl for 

 his rudeness and irreverence. That seemed to worry the 

 hunter considerably, for, though he cared nothing for the 

 priest's benediction, he did want the wedding to come off upon 

 the day appointed. It touched his pride to be balked in his 



