he work of unloading the cargo began.

Our boys, eager as they were to land, were sorry after all to leave
their snug berths in the good ship, where they had had some very
delightful times during the thirty days that had elapsed since they had
left the docks in old England.

A few gifts were bestowed among their particular sailor friends, and
then, with the "God bless you" from all; they entered a small boat rowed
by Indians, and were soon on the land that skirts this great inland sea.
Great indeed was the change which they saw between the populous cities
of the home land and this quiet, lonely region upon whose shores they
had now landed.

Here the only inhabitants were the fur traders, with their employees,
and the dignified, stoical Indians. The only signs of habitations were
the few civilised dwellings, called in courtesy the fort, where dwelt
and traded the officers and their families and servants of the great
fur-trading company, and not very far off was the Indian village of the
natives, where the most conspicuous buildings were the church and
parsonage of the missionary, who had been marvellously successful in
planting the cross in these northern regions, and in winning from a
degrading superstition, to the blessings of Christianity, some hundreds
of these red men, whose consistent lives showed the genuineness of the
work wrought among them.

This great region, stretching from the Atlantic to the Pacific, far
north of the fertile prairie region where millions will yet find happy
and prosperous homes, has well been called "The Wild North Land." The
Indians call it Keewatin, "The Land of the North Wind."

It has not many attractions for the farmer or merchantman, but it is the
congenial home of the red man. On its innumerable lakes and broad
rivers he glides along during the few bright summer months in his light
canoe. Every waterfall or cataract has associated with it some legend
or tradition. Its dense forests are the haunts of the bear and wolf, of
the moose and reindeer, and many other valuable animals, in the
excitement of hunting which he finds his chief delight.

To this land had come our three lads for sport and adventure, and we
shall see how fully all their expectations were realised.

Three Boys in the Wild North Land--Egerton Ryerson Young

CHAPTER TWO.

HUDSON BAY COMPANY--FRANK'S CANOE MISHAP--DUCK SHOOTING--CLEVER KOONA--
GOOSE HUNTING--QUEER BATTLES.

As our boys had come out t