her statesmen immediately followed his example, and the camp
subsided into silence.

CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE.

THE OUTPOST, AND EFFECT OF A "FUDDLE."

Soon afterwards the expedition of the fur-traders reached the Ukon
River, a comparatively insignificant stream, but, from its character and
position with reference to the Indians of that region, well suited for
the establishment of an outpost. At least so thought the natives who
had reported upon it.

"There iss no doubt," remarked MacSweenie, as he surveyed the banks of
the river, "that the place is no' that bad, but in my opeenion the
summer will be short, whatever, an' the winter it will be long."

"Ye may be sure that you are not far wrong if it's like the rest o' this
country," replied Mowat.

"There now, look at that," cried MacSweenie, who was a sketcher, and an
enthusiast in regard to scenery; "did ever you see a prettier spot than
that, Tonal'? Just the place for a fort--a wee burn dancin' doon the
hull, wi' a bit fa' to turn a grindstone, an' a long piece o' flat land
for the houses, an' what a grand composeetion for a pictur',--wi' trees,
gress, water, sky, an' such light and shade! Man, it's magneeficent!"

"I'm thinkin' that it'll be a bad job if that keg o' screw-nails we
forgot at our last camp is lost--"

"Hoot, man, never mind the screw-nails. We can easy send back for it.
But, wow! there's a far grander place we're comin' in sight of--an'--iss
that an Indian tent I see?"

"Ay, an' there's more than wan tent," said Mowat, giving his steering
oar a sweep that sent the boat farther out into the stream, and enabled
them better to see what lay beyond the bend of the river in front of
them.

"Hold on, lads; stop pullin'!"

The men lay on their oars and turned round to look ahead. The view
presented there was indeed a pleasant and inspiring one, though it was
scarcely entitled to the appellation "magneeficent," which MacSweenie
applied to it.

The river at that place made a wide sweep on the right, round a low
cliff which was crowned with luxuriant foliage. The stream opened out
into something like a miniature lake, and the water was so calm that the
cliff and its foliage made a clear dark reflection. The left bank was
edged by a wide grass plateau some fifty yards wide, beyond which was a
background of bushes and trees, with another "wee burn," which doubtless
suggested to MacSweenie the useful as well as the picturesque. The
distance w