und, and the
meals prepared and eaten. When the day's work was over, the men
gathered around the fire's bright glow and smoked their pipes, laughed
and chatted, and then, each wrapping himself in a single blanket, they
lay down on the ground to sleep, with no roof above them but the stars.

As the goods brought from England in large bulk had to be made up into
bundles, called in the language of the country "pieces," each weighing
from eighty to one hundred pounds, that could be easily carried around
the portages by the Indians, several days must elapse ere the return
trip would be begun. Very interesting were these days to the boys, as
from camp fire to camp fire they wandered, making friends everywhere
with the Indians by their hearty, manly ways.

At first the wildest and fiercest looking fellows most attracted them;
those wild warriors who could tell of scalping parties and horse-
stealing adventures among the warlike tribes of the great plains. After
a while, however, they found themselves most interested in the brigades
that could travel fastest, that had the record of making the fastest
trip in the shortest time. What at first was a surprise to them was
that the brigades that held these best records were the Christian ones,
who took time to say their prayers morning and evening and always rested
on the Sabbath. This proved that these hard-working men, who rested one
day in seven, could do and did better and faster work than those who
knew no Sabbath, but pushed on from day to day without rest. Man as a
working animal needs the day of rest, and with one off in seven will, as
has been here and in other places proved, do better work in the
remaining six than the one who takes no day of rest.

Soon after the arrival of the brigades with the furs, which were
estimated as being worth in London over three hundred thousand pounds,
they were all safely stowed away in the vessel, and a favourable wind
springing up from the south-west, the anchor was lifted, the sails
hoisted, and the good ship _Prince Arthur_ started on her return voyage
to the old land. The boys waved their handkerchiefs and shouted their
farewells until the vessel was far out on the dancing waves like a thing
of life and beauty.

To Big Tom, of the Norway House Brigade, had been intrusted the
responsibility of safely taking the boys up from York Factory to the
residence of Mr Ross. His Indian name was Mamanowatum, which means, "O
be joyful," b