312 THE MONTAGNAIS INDIANS AND THEIR FOLK-LORE 



three heavy stakes in the ground one of birch, one 

 of aspen, and the third of some other wood, bending 

 them down and fastening them together in the centre, 

 and covering over the whole with blankets in lieu of 

 bark. Soon was heard the peculiar sound of the in- 

 cantation of the Indian from within. Then there was 

 silence for a while. After a short delay the cdbane was 

 swayed violently by unseen hands, and in a manner 

 that it was subsequently found impossible for any one 

 of the others present to cause while remaining within 

 it. Then followed the sound of the sorcerer's conver- 

 sation with the spirits, during which the latter gave 

 the Indian the answers to our questions. Mr. Stuart's 

 house in Scotland was exactly described to the juggler 

 by the spirit of the seagull that was sent over the 

 ocean to inspect it. Some of my questions were not 

 so easily answered, the juggler pretending that the 

 spirit sent for the necessary information had not yet 

 returned. We were undecided at the time whether 

 to return to Quebec next day from Lake St. John or 

 to try another angling trip in a different direction. 

 Repartee told me to make the trip, and said I should 

 certainly not have very much luck, but should secure 

 at least one large fish and perhaps half a dozen 

 other good ones. Meeting Mr. A. N. Cheney the 

 next day at Eoberval, I was only too happy to ac- 

 company him on a trip to La Grande Decharge, and, 

 though the fact failed to strike me at the time, I 

 found, upon returning home and looking up my memo- 

 randum of what the Indian had told me, that he had 

 correctly foretold my exact catch of fish a fourteen- 

 pound pike and six moderately-sized ouananiche. It 



