ll you the Factor's name but
as he has written to me: "For many cogent reasons it is desirable that
my name be not mentioned officially in your book," I must refrain. I
shall, however, give you the history of Narphim in the Factor's own
words:

"Narphim's proper name remains unknown as he was one of two children
saved when a band of Ojibways were drowned in crossing a large lake
that lies S. E. of Cat Lake and Island Lake, and S. E. of Norway House.
He was called Narphim--Saved from the Waters. The other child that was
rescued was a girl and she was called Neseemis--Our Little Sister. At
first Narphim was adopted and lived with a Swampy Cree chief, the
celebrated Keteche-ka-paness, who was a great medicine man. When
Narphim grew to be eleven years old he became a hunter, and first
traded his catch at Island Lake; then as the years went by, at Oxford
House; then at Norway House, then at Fort Chepewyan, and then at Fort
McMurray. After that he went to Lesser Slave Lake, then on to the
Peace River at Dunvegan, then he showed up at Fort St. John, next at
Battle River, and finally at Vermilion.

"The following is a list of the number of creatures Narphim killed, but
of course he also killed a good deal of game that was never recorded in
the Company's books, especially those animals whose skins were used for
the clothing of the hunter's family.

"Bears 585, beaver 1,080, ermines 130, fishers 195, red foxes 362,
cross foxes 78, silver and black foxes 6, lynxes 418, martens 1,078,
minks 384, muskrats 900, porcupines 19, otters 194, wolves 112,
wolverines 24, wood buffaloes 99, moose 396, caribou 196, jumping deer
72, wapiti 156, mountain sheep 60, mountain goats 29; and rabbits,
approximately 8,000, wild fowl, approximately 23,800, and fish
approximately 36,000. Total 74,573.

"Yes, Narphim was a great hunter and a good man," says the Factor in
his last letter to me. "He was a fine, active, well-built Indian and a
reliable and pleasant companion. In fact, he was one of Nature's
gentlemen, whom we shall be, and well may be, proud to meet in the
Great Beyond, known as the Happy Hunting Grounds."

Thus the evening drifted by. While the names of several of the best
hunters had been mentioned as suitable men for me to accompany on their
hunting trail, it was suggested that as the men themselves would
probably visit the Post in the morning, I should have a chat with them
before making my selection. Both Mackenzie and