be hindered."

"Pegs, Oo-koo-hoo, ma freen', yon's an auld, auld farrant. But ye're
well kenn'd for a leal, honest man; an' sae, I'se no be unco haird upon
ye."

So saying, the Factor made him a present of a couple of pounds of
flour, half a pound of pork, half a pound of sugar, a quarter of a
pound of tea, a plug of tobacco, and some matches. The Factor's
generosity was prompted largely by his desire to keep the Indian in
good humour. After a little friendly chaffing, the Factor promised to
give the hunter advances to the extent of one hundred "skins."

A "skin," or, as it is often called, a "made beaver," is equivalent to
one dollar in the Hudson Bay and the Mackenzie River districts, but
only fifty cents in the region of the Athabasca.

Perhaps it should be explained here that while Oo-koo-hoo could speak
broken English, he always preferred to use his own language when
addressing the trader, whom he knew to be quite conversant with
Ojibway, and so, throughout this book, I have chosen to render the
Indian's speech as though it was translated from Ojibway into English,
rather than at any time render it in broken English, as the former is
not only easier to read, but is more expressive of the natural quality
of the Indian's speech. In olden days some of the chiefs who could not
speak English at all were, it is claimed, eloquent orators--far
outclassing our greatest statesmen.

Oo-koo-hoo, having ascertained the amount of his credit, reckoned that
he would use about fifty skins in buying traps and ammunition; the rest
he would devote to the purchase of necessaries for himself and his
party, as his son-in-law had arranged with him to look after his
family's wants in his absence. So the old gentleman now asked for the
promised skins. He was handed one hundred marked goose quills
representing that number of skins. After checking them over in bunches
of ten, he entrusted twenty to his eldest grandson, Ne-geek--The
Otter--to be held in reserve for ammunition and tobacco, and ten to his
eldest granddaughter, Neykia, with which to purchase an outfit for the
rest of the party.

For a long time Oo-koo-hoo stood immersed in thought. At last his face
brightened. He had reached a decision. For years he had coveted a new
muzzle-loading gun, and he felt that the time had now arrived to get
it. So he picked out one valued at forty skins and paid for it. Then,
taking back the quills his grandson held, he bought twenty