whitey-brown mottled
appearance which was highly suggestive.

The cook also had a peculiar talent for making cakes, which no
Nor'-Wester could imitate, but which any Nor'-Wester in the land could
eat. There were other trifles which it would take too long to mention,
and large pots of tea which it would not take very long to drink. That
was all the drink they had, happily, for strong young people with high
spirits do not require strong spirits to keep their spirits up!

After the feast, the tables and chairs were cleared away from the
central, or reception, hall of the fort, and preparations were made for
spending a harmonious evening; for, you see, stout people, in the prime
of life, who have not damaged themselves with strong drink, find it
difficult to exhaust their energies by means of an ordinary day's work.

"Now, Tonal'," said MacSweenie, "get out your fuddle an' strike up."

"The ladies have not finished their tea yet, sir," replied the
interpreter.

"Nefer mind that. Just let them hear the strains of Lord Macdonald's
Reel, an' you'll make them chump whether they will or no."

Thus encouraged, Mowat began, and sure enough there was something so
inspiriting in the tuneful tones, the vigorously indicated time, and the
lively air, that the excited Highlander gave a whoop that threw Indian
war-cries quite into the shade, seized one of the "ladies" by an arm and
unceremoniously led her to the middle of the floor. The cook, who was
used to his master's ways, led out one of the other ladies in a similar
free-and-easy manner, and soon two couples were thundering on the boards
in all the glorious _abandon_ of a Scotch reel.

They danced nothing but Scotch reels, for the good reason that none of
them could dance anything else. Indeed, none of them, except
MacSweenie, could dance even these in correct fashion; but the reel,
like the Scotch character, is adaptable. It lends itself to
circumstances, if we may say so, and admits of the absolutely ignorant
being pushed, trundled, shoved or kicked through at least a semblance of
it, which to the operators is almost as good as the reality.

Nazinred and Mozwa had never seen anything of the kind before, or heard
the strains of a "fuddle." It may well be imagined, therefore, what was
the condition of their minds. Native reticence stood them in good stead
for a considerable time, though, in spite of it, their eyes opened to an
extent that was unusual; but as the fun