of brilliant scarlet made up of many feathers,--
rigid and over a foot in height.

"It's not a good plaything for a child," remarked Mowat.

"My daughter is not a child--she is a woman."

"Wow, man," said MacSweenie, "tell him that feather is not for a woman.
It iss for a man."

The Indian, however, needed no explanation. That which had captivated
him at a distance lost its attraction on closer examination. He
rejected it with quiet indifference, and turned his eyes to something
not less attractive, but more useful--a web of brilliant light-blue
cloth. He was very fond of Adolay, and had made up his mind to take
back to her a gift which she would be certain to like. Indeed, to make
sure of this, he determined to take to her a variety of presents, so
that among them all she would be sure to find something to her taste.

In this way the Indians spent several days at the "fort" of the traders
on Great Bear Lake, and then prepared to return home with a canoe-load
of goods instead of furs.

Before leaving, however, they had a specimen of one of the ways in which
fur-traders in those lonely regions of the far north enjoy themselves.
The whole establishment consisted of the officer in charge--MacSweenie--
his interpreter Donald Mowat, and seven men--two of whom were French
Canadians, two half-castes, and three Orkney-men. There were also three
women, two being wives of the men from Orkney, and one the wife of one
of the half-castes.

The greater part of the day previous to that on which they were to set
out on the return voyage, Nazinred and Mozwa spent in testing the
quality of their new guns in company with MacSweenie, who took his
faithful Donald Mowat with him, partly to assist in carrying the game,
and partly for interpreting purposes. And a superb testing-ground it
was, for the swampy spots and mud flats were alive with wild-fowl of all
kinds, from the lively sandpiper to the great Canada grey goose, while
the air was vocal with their whistling wings and trumpet cries, so that,
whether they walked among the shrubs and sedges, or sat in ambush on the
rocky points, ample opportunity was afforded to test the weapons as well
as the skill of the owners.

The beginning of the day, however, was not quite satisfactory. They had
scarcely proceeded more than a few hundred yards from the fort when a
flock of ducks was observed flying low and straight towards them.

"Down, man, quick!" exclaimed MacSweenie, crouchi