for these hard-working
men, but exceedingly convenient to carry.

Supper finished, the wild-looking fellows of this brigade took to their
pipes, and threw fresh logs on the fires, which roared, and crackled,
and shot up their forked tongues of flame, as if they wished to devour
the forest. Then the song and the story went round, and men told of
terrible fights with the red-men of the prairies, and desperate
encounters with grizzly bears in the Rocky Mountains, and narrow escapes
among the rapids and falls, until the night was half spent. Then, one
by one, each man wrapped himself in his blanket, stretched himself on
the ground with his feet towards the fire and his head pillowed on a
coat or a heap of brush-wood, and went to sleep.

Ere long they were all down, except one or two long-winded story
tellers, who went on muttering to their pipes after their comrades were
asleep. Even these became tired at last of the sound of their own
voices, and gradually every noise in the camp was hushed, except the
crackling of the fires as they sank by degrees and went out, leaving the
place in dead silence and total darkness.

With the first peep of dawn the guide arose. In ten minutes after his
first shout the whole camp was astir. The men yawned a good deal at
first and grumbled a little, and stretched themselves violently, and
yawned again. But soon they shook off laziness and sprang to their
work. Pots, pans, kettles, and pemmican bags were tossed into the
boats, and in the course of half-an-hour they were ready to continue the
voyage.

Jasper stood beside the guide looking on at the busy scene.

"Heard you any news from the Saskatchewan of late," said he.

"Not much," replied the guide; "there's little stirring there just now,
except among the Indians, who have been killing and scalping each other
as usual. But, by the way, that reminds me there has been a sort of row
between the Indians and the Company's people at Fort Erie."

"Fort Erie," said Jasper with a start.

"Ay, that's the name o' the fort, if I remember right," returned the
guide. "It seems that one o' the men there, I think they call him
Laroche--but what makes you start, friend Jasper? Do you know anything
of this man."

"Yes, he's a friend of mine. Go on, let me hear about it."

"Well, there's not much to tell," resumed the guide. "This Laroche, it
would appear, has got into hot water. He has a daughter, a good lookin'
wench I'm told, and,