38 THE ARCTIC PRAIRIES 



technical difficulties, grown up like mushrooms over 

 night. 



Kiya could not go or lend his horses, because it was 

 mostly Squirrel's country, and he was afraid Squirrel 

 would not like it. Squirrel could not go because it 

 would be indelicate of him to butt in after negotia- 

 tions had been opened with Kiya. Kirma was not 

 well. Sousi could not go because his wife was sick, 

 and it preyed on his mind so that he dare not trust 

 himself away from the settlement; at least, not with- 

 out much medicine to fortify him against rheumatism, 

 home-sickness, and sadness. 



Next day Kiya sent word that he had business of 

 great moment, and could not meet us, but would see 

 that early in the morning Squirrel was notified to 

 come and do whatever we wished. In the morning 

 Squirrel also had disappeared, leaving word that he 

 had quite overlooked a most important engagement 

 to "portage some flour across the rapids," not that he 

 loved the tump line, but he had "promised," and to 

 keep his word was very precious to him. 



Jarvis and I talked it over and reviewed the infor- 

 mation we had. At Ottawa it was reported that the 

 Wolves were killing the calves, so the Buffalo did not in- 

 crease. At Winnipeg the Wolves were so bad that they 

 killed yearlings; at Edmonton the cows were not safe. 



At Chipewyan the Wolves, reinforced by large bands 

 from the Barren Grounds, were killing the young Buf- 

 falo, and later the cows and young bulls. At Smith's 

 Landing the Wolves had even tackled an old bull 

 whose head was found with the large bones. Horses 



