d farther away to tether them; for, at
every bleat they made, he started nervously, and moaned," said Jane,
who had great faith in quietness, and soothing applications in
restoring the sick.

"He has got no medicine bag," said Edward, "and could not, very
happily. Any one that is well and can stand a pow-wow, ought to live
forever, but I am sure if I was as sick as poor Sidney is, and they
undertook to raise such a rumpus about me, I would die to get out of
the noise."

"Hush! you don't know anything about it. I am sure I should have died
once if I had not been pow-wowed," said the trapper. "As for the
medicine bag, every chief is gifted with making one at will."

"Why, uncle, you would not consent to have such a din raised around
Sidney, would you? I am sure it would kill him."

"I rather think it would help him. A sick man among the wilds and one
in a populous district are to be treated on different plans, and the
one recovers as often as the other. Still there is this difference: the
one, if he recovers, carries a poison in him that finally does its
work; while the other, if he recovers, soon regains his former vigor,"
said the trapper.

"Really, uncle, I did not think you superstitious before; but this
seems like it," said Jane.

"Prejudiced, Jane; he has been among the natives until almost one of
them," said Edward.

"Call it what you like. I have reasons for it. When I was about thirty,
I, in company with my father, had been trading with the Hudson's Bay
Company, and were preparing for a homeward voyage when it occurred to
us that our collection would not be complete without a polar bear skin.
This we resolved to have, and supposing it could be had from the
natives, we started out one morning to visit the different lodges that
were located around the station in search of our object. We found
enough that had been divided into parts, but there was but a single
complete one to be found, and that was the skin from a young cub which
would give but a faint idea of the size and strength of the full grown
animal. It was our object to get a complete one, as a large price had
been offered for a perfect skin of full size.

"There were reports of polar bears having been seen at no great
distance, within a few days, and my father was too famous a hunter to
be baulked when bears could be had by hunting. Engaging six Esquimaux
to accompany us with their dogs and spears we set out. We knew it was
dangerous game that we