the white men at this
post. This is about as far as they come. They get their boats in trade
from the whale-ships somewhere along the Arctic. As John says, this is
really a curious and interesting scene that you see.

"Over yonder, I think, are the Loucheux. I don't think they are as
strong and able a class of savages as the Huskies. At least, that's
what the traders tell me."

"Well, they've got wall tents, anyway," said Jesse, who was fixing his
field-glasses on the encampments. "Where did they get them? From the
traders, I suppose. My, but they look ragged and poor! I shouldn't
wonder if they were about starved."

By this time the boat was coming to her landing, and the boys hurried
ashore to see what they could find in this curious and interesting
encampment.

There were two trading-posts at Arctic Red River--the Hudson's Bay
Company post, and that of an independent trading company, both on top
of the high bluff and reached by a stairway which ran part way up the
face.

Some of the tribesmen from the encampment now hurried down to meet the
boat--tall and stalwart Eskimos in fur-trimmed costumes which the boys
examined with the greatest of interest and excitement, feeling as they
did that now indeed they were coming into the actual North of which
they had read many years before.

"Uncle Dick is right," said Rob. "These Eskimos are bigger and
stronger than any of the Indians we have seen. I don't think the women
are so bad-looking, either, although the children look awfully dirty."

"It's like Alaska, isn't it?" said John. "Look at the parkies they
wear, even here in the summer-time. That's just like the way Alaska
Indians and white men dress in the winter-time."

"Well," said Jesse, "maybe that's the only clothes they've got. I'll
warrant you they have on their best, because this is the great annual
holiday for them, when the Company boat comes in."

Rob looked at his watch. "Twelve o'clock!" said he. "I can't tell
whether the sun is up yet or not, because it is so cloudy. Anyhow, we
can say that we are now under the Midnight Sun, can't we?--because
here we are right among the Eskimos."

Uncle Dick joined them after a while, laughing. "Talk about traders!"
said he. "No Jew and no Arab in the world would be safe here among
these Huskies! They are the stiffest traders I ever saw in my life.
You can't get them to shade their prices the least bit on earth.

"These boats," he continued, "are crammed full of