ntrast, wreathed
with fanciful fruits and foliage, and Cupids, and creatures of a now
extinct species. The rainbow had been the painter's palette; genius his
brush; fancy-gone-mad his attendant; the total temporary stagnation of
redskin faculties his object, and ecstasy his general state of mind,
when he executed this magnificent _chef d'oeuvre_ in the centre of the
ceiling of the reception hall at the Mountain Fort.

The fireplace was a capacious cavern in the wall opposite the entrance
door, in which, during winter, there usually burned a roaring bonfire of
huge logs of wood, but where, at the time of which we write, there was
just enough fire to enable visitors to light their pipe's. When that
fire blazed up in the dark winter nights, the effect of that gorgeous
apartment was dazzling--absolutely bewildering.

The effect upon our trappers when they entered was sufficiently strong.
They gazed round in amazement, each giving vent to his feelings in his
own peculiar exclamatory grunt, or gasp, or cough. In addition to this,
Bounce smote his thigh with unwonted vigour. Gibault, after gazing for
a few minutes, sighed out something that sounded like _magnifique_! and
Bertram grinned from ear to ear. He went further: he laughed aloud--an
impolite thing to do, in the circumstances, and, for a grave man like
him, an unusual ebullition of feeling. But it was observed and noted
that on this occasion the artist did not draw forth his sketch-book.

McLeod, who, from his speech and bearing, was evidently a man of some
education, placed chairs for his visitors, took the lid off a large
canister of tobacco, and, pushing it into the middle of the yellow
table, said--

"Sit ye down, friends, and help yourselves."

He set them the example by taking down his own pipe from a nail in the
wall, and proceeding to fill it. Having done so, he took a piece of
glowing charcoal from the fire, and, placing it on the bowl, began to
smoke, glancing the while, with an amused expression on his grave face,
at the trappers, who, while filling their pipes, kept gazing round the
walls and up at the ceiling.

"Ha!" said he, "you are struck with our hall (puff, puff). It's rather
(puff) an effective one (puff). Have a light?"

Bounce, to whom the light was offered, accepted the same, applied it to
his pipe, and said--

"Well, yes (puff), it is (puff) raither wot ye may call (puff)
pecooliar."

"Most visitors to this place think so," sai