FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129  
130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   >>   >|  
hunters. Not long since, an otter skin equaled ten "beaver," twenty rabbit equaled one "beaver," one marten equaled two and a half "beaver"; and so on down, or up, the scale. ... This, from the Company's point of view. From that of the hunter, a "beaver" in trade (usually represented by a stamped leaden counter), was worth so much in merchandise--a large red handkerchief, or a hunting-knife, or a looking-glass. Two "beaver" would buy an ax, twenty a gun of a certain quality, and so on through the list of necessities. When a hunter brings in his bales of fur, he takes them to the warehouse, where they are assorted and appraised by the chief trader, after much haggling. When the value is determined, the trader pushes over the counter as many "beaver" (lead pellets), as the furs are worth. The hunter takes these to the store, and, after much travail and advice, exchanges them for winter supplies and gewgaws that strike his fancy. In this primitive way is wrought the gigantic trade that covers woman with fur, from queens with their ermine to the shop-girl with her scraggly muskrat or rabbit. As the talk went on around him, McTavish recognized the old story of the free-traders, men who hunted and trapped without any definite allegiance to one company or another, and disposed of their catch to the best advantage. As he had known all his life, the "barrens" about Hudson Bay remained the only country that had successfully kept the independents at bay. There had been other attempts at intrusion, many of them; but none so well organized or determined in spirit as this present one. The old, inbred loyalty to the Company told him that free-traders must be got out of the way. As far as he was concerned, he hoped action would come quickly--he did not wish too much time by himself to think. Finally, Timmins yawned, and suggested that they turn in. But McTavish was restless. He slipped on his snowshoes, declared he would be back shortly, and left the tent. The nervous reaction of all the excitement of the last day was in him, and he felt that he needed the physical battling and buffeting of the storm to calm the throbbing of his brain and settle him for the night. Drawing his _capote_ close around his face, he bent to the blast, and shuffled along. Suddenly, he felt the nearness of a presence, and raised his head, just in time to prevent going full into the wall of a log cabin. He recoiled with a muttered curse, for there wa
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129  
130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

beaver

 

hunter

 

equaled

 

McTavish

 

counter

 

traders

 

Company

 

trader

 
twenty
 

rabbit


determined
 

action

 

quickly

 
spirit
 

attempts

 
independents
 
remained
 

country

 

successfully

 

intrusion


loyalty

 

inbred

 
organized
 

Finally

 
present
 

concerned

 

Suddenly

 

nearness

 
presence
 

raised


shuffled

 

capote

 

Drawing

 

muttered

 

recoiled

 

prevent

 

settle

 

declared

 
shortly
 
Hudson

snowshoes

 

slipped

 

suggested

 

yawned

 

restless

 

nervous

 

reaction

 

buffeting

 

throbbing

 

battling