mary to rub the hands."

"Who the devil was Manabozho?"

"He was a very Great One--even another such Great One as yourself.
It was he who made the earth once on a time, by accident.
And another time he went fishing."

"Have a care, Menehwehna. I bid you beware if you are poking fun at
me."

"I am telling of Manabozho. He went fishing in the lake and let down
a line. 'King Fish,' said he, 'take hold of my bait,' and he kept
saying this until the King Fish felt annoyed and said, 'This
Manabozho is a nuisance. Here, trout, take hold of his line.'
The trout obeyed, and Manabozho shouted, 'Wa-i-he! Wa-i-he! I have
him!' while the canoe rocked to and fro. But when he saw the trout
he called, 'Esa, esa! Shame upon you, trout; I fish for your
betters.' So the trout let go; and again Manabozho sank his line,
saying, 'O King Fish, take hold of my bait.' 'I shall lose my temper
soon with this fellow,' said the King Fish; 'here, sunfish, take hold
of his line.' The sunfish did so, and Manabozho's canoe spun round
and round; but when he saw what he had caught, he cried out,
'Esa, esa! Shame upon you, sunfish; I am come for your betters.'
So the sunfish let go, and again Manabozho--"

"Joli amphigouri!" yawned the sergeant. "Pardon, M. Menehwehna, but
this story of yours seems likely to last."

"Not so, O chief; for this time the King Fish took the bait and
swallowed Manabozho, canoe and all."

John laughed aloud; but enough sense remained in Barboux to cover his
irritation. "Well, that was the last of him, and the Lord be
praised!"

"There is much more of the story," said Menehwehna, "and all full of
instruction."

"We will postpone it, anyhow. Take up your paddle, if you have not
forgotten how to work."

So Menehwehna and the hunchback paddled anew, while the great Barboux
sat and sulked--a sufficiently childish figure. Night fell, the
canoe was brought to shore, and the Indians as usual lifted out the
wounded men and laid them on beds of moss strewn with pine-boughs and
cedar. While Menehwehna lit the camp-fire, Muskingon prepared John's
salmon for supper, and began to grill it deftly as soon as the smoke
died down on a pile of clear embers.

John sleepily watched these preparations, and was fairly dozing when
he heard Barboux announce with an oath that for his impudence
the dog of an Englishman should go without his share of the fish.
The announcement scarcely awoke him--the revenge was so petty.