few paces, and set him
gently down outside. Then, stepping back, he shut the door.

A roar of laughter from those without showed the light in which they
viewed the incident, and the amused looks of some of those in the store
told that at least they did not disapprove of the act.

Without paying any regard to these things, however, Lumley returned to
his place, and with his usual air of good humour continued to barter
with the red-men.

Thus the work of trading went on for three days, and, during that time,
there was much fraternising of what I may call our home--Indians with
the newcomers, and a great deal, I regret to say, of gambling. We found
that this evil prevailed to a great extent among them, insomuch that one
or two of them gambled away all that they possessed, and came to us with
very penitent looks, asking for a small quantity of goods on credit to
enable them to face the winter!

I need scarcely say that our amiable chief complied with these requests,
but only on the solemn promise that the goods so advanced should not be
risked in gambling, and I have reason to believe that these men were
faithful to their promises. This gambling was of the simplest kind,
consisting of the method which is known by the name of "odd or even?"

In the evenings the chiefs were encouraged to come into our hall and
palaver. They availed themselves of the invitation to come, and
sometimes palavered, but more frequently smoked, with owlish solemnity,
squatting on the floor with their backs against the wall.

Nevertheless, on these occasions we gained a good deal of information,
and Lumley availed himself of the opportunities sometimes to lecture
them on the sin of gambling. He always, I observed, laid much more
stress on the idea that the Great Master of Life was grieved with His
children when they did evil, than that He visited the sin with
disagreeable consequences. On one of these occasions an elderly chief
surprised us by suddenly putting the question, "Do the pale-faces trade
fire-water?"

Every pipe was removed from every lip, and the glittering eyes of
expectancy, coupled with the all but total cessation of breathing, told
of the intense interest with which they awaited the answer.

"No," replied Lumley, "we sell none. We do not love fire-water."

A deep but quiet sigh followed, and the pipes were resumed in silent
resignation. And, I must add, I felt devoutly thankful that we did
_not_ sell fire-water, when