st between the fat billows of
his cheeks; his eyes were much drawn up at the corners, and very far
apart; and his mouth, a very wide one, was fringed about with stiff,
straggling black bristles. The cast of his countenance was decidedly
repulsive. Kit made signs for him to drink his coffee; but he merely
eyed it suspiciously. I then helped him to a heavy spoonful of mashed
potatoes. He looked at it a while; then, seeing us eating of it,
plunged in his fingers, and, taking up a wad, thrust it into his
mouth, but immediately spat it out, with a broad laugh, all over his
plate and over the other dishes, and kept spitting at random.

"De nasty dog!" ejaculated Palmleaf, rushing forward from the galley:
"spit all ober de clean plates!"

The savage turned his eye upon the black, and, with a horrible shout,
sprang up from his chair, nearly upsetting the table-shelf, and made a
bolt for the stairway. We called to him, and followed as quickly as we
could: but, before we were fairly on deck, he was over into his
_kayak_, plying his paddle as if for dear life; and the more we
called, the faster he _dug to it_.

Suddenly, as we were looking after him and laughing, the heavy report
of cannon sounded from the southward. Looking around, we saw a large
ship coming to below the islands, at a distance of about three miles.
A thrill of apprehension stole over us. Without a word, we went for
our glasses. It was a large, staunch-looking ship, well manned, from
the appearance of her deck. As we were looking, the English flag went
up. We had expected as much.

"It's one of the Hudson-bay Company's ships," remarked Raed.

"Of course," said Kit.

"Not likely to be anything else," said the captain.

"I suppose you're aware that those fellows may take a notion to have
us accompany them to London," remarked Raed.

"If they can catch us," Kit added.

"Persons caught trading with the natives within the limits of the
Hudson-bay Company's chartered territory are liable to be seized, and
carried to London for trial," continued Raed. "It's best to keep that
point well in view. Nobody would suppose that, in this age, the old
beef-heads would have the cheek to try to enforce such a _right_
against Americans, citizens of the United States, who ought to have
the inside track of everything on this continent. Still they may."

"It will depend somewhat on the captain of the vessel--what sort of a
man he is," said Kit. "He may be one of the high and