savage, with a dark-brown face, glittering
black eyes, and stiff black hair hanging straight down all round his
head, except in front, where it was cut short off just above the eyes in
order to let his face appear. That fellow's canoe, besides himself,
carried his three wives--he was a good hunter, and could afford to have
three. Had he been a bad hunter, he would have had to content himself,
poor fellow, with one! The canoe also contained six or seven heavy
packs of furs; a haunch of venison; six pairs of rabbits; several ducks
and geese; a lump of bear's meat; two little boys and a girl; a large
tent made of deer-skins; four or five tin kettles; two or three
dirty-looking dogs and a gun; several hatchets and a few blankets; two
babies and a dead beaver.

In short, there was almost no end to what that bark canoe could hold;
yet that Indian, with the stiff black hair, could lift it off the
ground, when empty, lay it on his shoulders, and carry it for miles
through the forest. The other canoes were much the same as this one.

In a few minutes they were at the bank, close under the fort, and about
the same time Jasper and his friends leaped ashore, and were heartily
welcomed by Mr Grant, who was glad enough to see Indians, but was
overjoyed to meet with white men.

"Glad to see you, Jasper," cried Mr Grant, shaking the hunter by the
hand; "right glad to see you. It does good to a man to see an old
friend like you turn up so unexpectedly. Happy, also, to meet with you,
Mr Heywood. It's a pleasure I don't often have, to meet with a white
stranger in this wilderness. Pray, come with me to the house."

The fur-trader turned to the Indians, and, saying a few words to them in
their own language, led the way to his residence.

Meanwhile, the Indians had tossed everything out of the canoes upon the
bank, and the spot which had been so quiet and solitary half an hour
before, became a scene of the utmost animation and confusion. While the
women were employed in erecting the tents, the men strode up to the hall
of reception, where Mr Grant supplied them with tobacco and food to
their hearts' content.

These natives, who, owing to the reddish copper-colour of their skins,
are called red-men,--were dressed chiefly in clothes made of deer-skin;
cut much in the same fashion as the garments worn by Jasper Derry. The
women wore short gowns, also made of leather, and leggings of the same
material; but it was noticeable tha