ntense
enough. Numerous horses have to be attended to, and dogs trained for
dragging the sleighs when the snow covers the ground, the only mode then
possible of travelling. Sleighs, carts, snow-shoes, and harness of all
sorts, have to be manufactured, and moccasins and winter clothing
prepared. In the neighbourhood of some forts gardens containing
vegetables, and fields of maize, wheat, and oats have to be attended to.
In others boats and canoes are built, while at all the gunsmith has
constant work in repairing damaged fire-arms.

Trappers are constantly coming and going, bringing peltries, buffalo,
deer, and wolf-skins, as well as other produce of the chase. Some are
half-breeds, others white men, but the greater number pure Indians.
Some arrive with several bales, others only bring a few skins to
exchange for powder and shot, and a new trap or two. Then the skins
obtained have to be sorted, repacked, and despatched either to York
factory in the north, or to Fort Garry in the south; while stores and
provisions at certain periods arrive, and the men transporting them have
to be entertained until they are ready to return to head-quarters.

Such was the existence which the inmates of Fort Duncan were leading.
Under other circumstances Loraine might soon have grown tired of so
limited a sphere of action, but every day he became more and more
attached--if that were possible--to Sybil; and although he had intended
to perform the journey across the Rocky Mountains to Vancouver's Island,
he could not bring himself to leave her exposed to dangers such as those
from which she had lately been preserved.

Sybil had no wish to let him go, for though short as was the time since
they had first met, he had become all in all to her; and no wonder when
Hector, who had opportunities of knowing him well, declared that he was
one of the finest, noblest, best fellows he had ever fell in with,
right-minded, true and brave; and Sybil was convinced that this account
was not exaggerated.

Next to Loraine, Hector's chief friend was Allan Keith, whom he
considered almost the equal of the first. He had become very anxious at
the non-appearance of Allan and the half-breed hunters he had hoped to
enlist. Either he must have failed in inducing them to accompany him,
or he had encountered some hostile Indians on the way, which was not
very likely, or had been compelled to make a wide circuit to avoid them.
At last Hector asked his father's