IN THE HEART OF THE MOOSE COUNTRY 181 



not add to our comfort. Nothing, however, seemed to damp the 

 spirits of the men, they were always cheery and full of chaff, but 

 as their speech was in Algonquin all this was unfortunately lost 

 to me. One of them would rattle off some long sentence in a 

 peculiar sing-song voice greatly resembling the intoning of parts 

 of the Church service, to he answered by the other in the same 

 way, so that at first I thought they were imitating some English 

 clergyman they might have heard. It afforded them apparently 

 a great deal of amusement and they would go on in this poetical 

 manner for a long time together. It seemed to me as if the text 

 might be as follows : 



F. Oh, you will see that unto us to-day more rain will be 

 vouchsafed. 



T. Yes, but for this morning's sun let us be truly thankful. 



F. It has dried our clothes a little, but our skins are very 

 damp. 



T. We shall soon have crops of fungi growing on our mouldy 

 hide. 



Or, 



F. Be mindful that we get good dinner and prepare it to my 

 taste. 



T. Whitest pork, no streaks of red, and frizzled in the 

 savoury fat. 



F. Then add to that some fried potatoes, swimming in the 

 porky grease. 



T. And well-stewed tea to give our stomach rest and joy till 

 supper-time. 



This went on daily, and when asked what it meant, the men 

 told me that the Kippewa Indians talked in that manner. What 

 a musical village theirs must be ! 



My Indians deserved all praise ; they were always happy ; it 

 was impossible to tire them, however long the portages or heavy 

 the loads ; rain made no difference to them, or wet clothes, or 

 damp blankets, and damper ground at night or at any other 

 time. Plenty of pork and tea was all they required and that fat 

 and strong. A big lump of tea-leaves at the bottom of the cup 

 meant a big moose, and I have more faith now in these fragrant 

 lumps than in the supposed prophetic hoots of my friend the 



