to a weak
one."

"No, nor to a woman," added Will.

"Not so sure o' that," said the trapper; "I've know'd Injun women as was
about as good hunters as their husbands, an' enjoyed it quite as much."

"That may be so, Ben, but women of the civilised world would scarcely
think this a happy sort of life."

"P'raps not," returned Ben. "Happiness is a queer thing, after all.
I've often thought that it's neither huntin' nor farmin', nor fair
weather nor foul, that brings it about in the heart o' man or woman, but
that it comes nat'ral to man, woman, and child, when they does what is
best suited to their minds and bodies, and when they does it in the
right way."

"Which is very much like saying," observed Will, "that happiness
consists in obeying the laws of God, both natural and revealed."

"Just so," assented the trapper, after a few moments' consideration,
"though I never quite thought of it in that light before."

Thus they conversed--or, rather, in somewhat similar strains they
chatted, for they did not pursue any subject long, but allowed their
minds to rove where fancy led--until evening began to close; then they
carried their meat into camp and closed the day with a sumptuous feast
of fish, flesh, and fowl, round a blazing fire, while the stream, which
formed their beverage, warbled sweet music in their ears.

This, reader, is a specimen of one of their quiet days, and many such
they had; but as these days of peace bore no proportion to the days of
toil and trouble, we must beg you to be content with the account of this
one as a fair sample of the rest, while we carry you over the Rocky
Mountains and bear you down their western slopes towards the Pacific
Ocean.

The mountains being crossed, the future course of our travellers was
down hill, but in some respects it was more toilsome than their uphill
journey had been. The scenery changed considerably in respect of the
character of its vegetation, and was even more rugged than heretofore,
while the trees were larger and the underwood more dense. Many a narrow
escape had Will and his friends during the weeks that followed, and many
a wild adventure, all of which, however, terminated happily--except one,
to which we now request attention.

They had reached the Fraser River--that celebrated stream of British
Columbia which waters a country that was destined in after years to
become one of the great gold-mining regions of the world. On the
afternoon of which