gone off on a long hunting expedition, taking their families with them--
Waboose among the rest.

On finding, however, that strange Indians had arrived with a goodly
supply of furs to trade, thoughts of all other matters were driven out
of my mind, the depression of spirits fled, and a burst of enthusiasm
supervened as the thought occurred to me that now, at last, the great
object of our expedition was about to begin in earnest. I verily
believe that the same spirit of enthusiasm, or satisfaction--call it
what you will--animated more or less every man at the fort. Indeed, I
believe that it is always so in every condition of life; that men who
lay claim to even the smallest amount of spirit or self-respect,
experience a thrill of justifiable pride in performing their duty well,
and earning the approval of their official superiors. My own thoughts,
if defined, would probably have amounted to this--

"Now then, here's a chance at last of driving a good trade, and we will
soon show the Governor and Council of the Fur-traders that they were
well advised when they selected John Lumley as the chief of this trading
expedition into the remote wilderness!"

"Come, Max," cried my friend, whom I met hastening to the store as I
arrived, "you're just in time. Here's a big band of redskins with
splendid packs of furs. I fear, however, that what is our gain will to
some extent be poor Macnab's loss, for they say they used to take their
furs to him in former years."

"But, then," said I, "will not the company gain the furs which used to
be damaged, and therefore lost, on the long voyage to Muskrat? Besides,
the Indians will now be enabled to devote the time thus saved to hunting
and trapping, and that will also be clear gain."

We reached the store as I said this, followed by a dozen Indians with
large packs on their shoulders. These were the chief men of the tribe,
who were to be attended to first. The others, who had to await their
turn with what patience they could command, followed behind in a body to
gaze at least upon the outside of the store--that mysterious temple of
unknown wealth of which all of them had heard, though many of them had
never seen or entered one.

Putting a large key into the lock, Lumley turned it with all due
solemnity, for it was his plan among savages to make all acts of
importance as impressive as possible in their eyes. And this act of
visiting for the first time the stores--the palace of w