ommonly a _poor_ civilized
man, while the savage, who has them not, is rich as a savage?"

Next morning, while roaming about the point, I discovered two well-worn
game trails that, converging together, led directly to the extreme
outer end of our point. The tracks were the wild animals' highways
through that part of the woods, and were used by them when they desired
to make a short cut across that end of the lake by way of a
neighbouring island. Worn fairly smooth, and from three to five inches
in depth, by from eight to ten inches in width, these tracks were
entirely free of grass or moss. In following them a few hundred paces,
I could plainly recognize the prints of the moose, the bear, the wolf,
and the fox; and a few smaller and lesser impressions with regard to
the origin of which I was not so sure. The trails were much like the
buffalo trails one used to see upon the plains. To my delight, my
lodge door was not more than ten paces from that wild Broadway of the
Wilderness.

INDIAN POLITENESS

After breakfast Oo-koo-hoo suggested that a "lop-stick" should be cut
in honour of the white man's visit. Selecting a tall spruce, Amik,
with a half-axe in hand, began to ascend it. When he had climbed about
three parts of the way up he began to chop off the surrounding branches
and continued to do so as he descended, until he was about halfway
down, when he desisted and came to earth. The result was a
strange-looking tree with a long bare trunk, surmounted by a tuft of
branches that could be seen and recognized for miles around.

Cutting lop-sticks is an old custom of the forest Indians. Such trees
are used to mark portages, camping grounds, meeting places, or
dangerous channels where submerged rocks lie in wait for the
unsuspecting voyageur. In fact, they are to the Indian what
lighthouses are to the mariner. Yet, sometimes they are used to
celebrate the beginning of a young man's hunting career, or to mark the
grave of a famous hunter. When made to indicate a wilderness
rendezvous, the meeting place is commonly used for the purpose of
coming in contact with their nearest neighbours or friends, and halting
a day or so, while upon their voyage to the post, in order to discuss
their affairs--the winter's hunt, the strange tracks they have seen,
the strange sounds they have heard, the raiding of their hunting
ground, and the like. Always at such meetings a fire is kindled
regardless of the season, an ancien