orry you are bent on leaving me," said their former leader; "but
you have the satisfaction of knowing that you have contributed greatly
to the success of our two expeditions. You have indeed proved
yourselves able pioneers."

"Thank'ee, sir," said Reuben, while a quiet smile of satisfaction
lighted up his grave features. "It was all along a hobby o' mine, an'
of Lawrence too, to do a bit o' diskivery; an' now we're content--for it
ain't possible, I fancy, to do much more in that line than push your
canoe into the Frozen Sea on the one hand, or the Pacific on the other.
It's harder work than I thowt it would be--though I didn't expect
child's play neither; an' it's our opinion, sir, that you are the only
man in the country as could have done it at all. We intend now to go
back to the settlements. As for the red-skin," he added, glancing at
Swiftarrow, "he ha'n't got no ambition one way or another as to
diskivery; but he's a good and true man, nevertheless, you'll allow.
And now, sir, farewell. May a blessing from above rest on you and
yours."

Saying this the bold backwoodsman shook Mackenzie by the hand and left
the room. Every one in the fort was on the bank to bid them farewell.
Silently they stepped into their canoe, and in a few minutes had paddled
out of sight into the great wilderness of wood and water.

Reader, our tale, if such it may be styled, _is_ told. As for the hero
whose steps for a time we have so closely followed, he became one of the
most noted traders, as he was now one of the most celebrated
discoverers, in North America. He afterwards became for a time the
travelling companion in America of the Duke of Kent, father of Queen
Victoria; was knighted in acknowledgment of his great and important
achievements; married one of Scotland's fair daughters; and finally died
in the midst of his native Highland hills, leaving behind him a volume
which--as we said at the beginning--proves him to have been one of the
most vigorous, persevering, manly, and successful pioneers that ever
traversed the continent of North America.

THE END.

CHAPTER ELEVEN.

EXTRACT OF LETTER REFERRED TO ON PAGE 85.

From William Mackenzie, Esquire, of Gairloch, to George Mackenzie,
Esquire, of Avoch, dated Leamington, 24th May 1856.

When in Stockholm in 1824, Lord Blomfield, our Minister there, did me
the honour of presenting me to the King, _Bernadotte_, father of the
present King of Sweden.

At the King's spe