. Besides those, other frames
were made and erected over another slow fire, and here the flakes or
slabs of moose flesh were hung to be dried and smoked into what is
called jerked meat. The fat, being chopped up and melted in a pail,
was then poured into the moose bladder and other entrails to cool and
be handy for future use. Of course, it would take several days to dry
out the deerskins; so each morning when we were about to travel, the
skins were unlaced and rolled up, to be re-stretched and placed over
another fire the following evening.

Sunday was pleasantly spent, notwithstanding that so many different
religious denominations were represented in camp: for while old Ojistoh
counted her beads according to the Roman Catholic faith, Amik and
Naudin were singing hymns, as the former was an English Churchman and
his wife a Presbyterian; but Oo-koo-hoo would join in none of it as he
had no faith whatever in the various religions of the white men and so
he remained a pagan. Part of the day we spent in pottering about, in
doing a little mending here and there, smoking, telling stories, or in
strolling through the woods; as both Oo-koo-hoo and Amik were opposed
to doing actual work on Sunday. In the afternoon I turned to
sketching, and my drawing excited so much interest that Amik tried his
hand, and in a crude way his sketches of animals and birds were quite
graphic in character. One sketch I made, that of the baby, so pleased
Neykia, that I gave it to her, and when she realized my intention she
seized it with such eagerness that she crumpled and almost tore the
paper; for as the Ojibways have no word to express their thanks, they
show their gratitude by the eagerness with which they accept a present.

That, however, reminds me of having read in one of the leading American
magazines an account of a noted American illustrator's trip into the
woods of Quebec. While there he presented a red handkerchief to an
Indian girl. The fact that she snatched it from him, and then ran
away, was to him--as he stated--a sign that she was willing to comply
with any evil intentions he might entertain toward her. Such absolute
rot! The polite little maid was merely trying to express her unbounded
thanks for his gift.

The only thing that interrupted our paddling the following day was our
going ashore to portage around a picturesque waterfall where two huge
rocks, on the very brink of the cascade, split the river into three.
Whe