hearing which
Sandy at once dubbed him "Jack Pipe."

"Opoihgun is not alone," he began; "he has many young men who follow
him, who desire guns to supply themselves and their squaws and children
with buffalo meat and venison. They know how to clothe themselves with
the skins of the animals they kill, and despise those people who wear
blankets and cloth garments. What Opoihgun has said he intends to keep
to. If his pale-face friends have no guns or ammunition, they cannot
hope to obtain his peltries. He has spoken, and is like those mountains
in the far west, not to be moved. Lift them up and bring them here, and
he will part with his skins for nothing."

He went on talking for some time in the same strain.

"Well, Mr Pipe, but suppose you take three guns and the remainder of
the price either in blankets or in tobacco, will that not content you?"
asked Alick.

Opoihgun, who was smoking, puffed a cloud from his mouth, and pointing
to the west said, "Bring those mountains here."

We knew by this that he did not intend to change his mind. Had Alick
consented to do what is done too often--produce some bottles of whisky--
he would very probably have obtained the peltries on his own terms. To
do this was entirely contrary to his principles. We had some whisky in
the fort, but it was dealt out in small quantities only to those who
required it.

Though the company instructed their factors not on any account to sell
whisky to the Indians, it somehow or other found its way into the forts,
and by the same unaccountable means the Indians very frequently got
drunk, and parted with the produce of their long days and nights of
hunting, receiving very small value in return.

Mr Meredith and Alick had never fallen into the abominable practice of
making those with whom they were about to trade drunk, but always gave
fair value for the peltries they received; consequently the more soberly
disposed Indians resorted to our fort in preference to others which they
might in many cases have more easily reached.

Mr Pipe, though he first only asked for the guns and ammunition, now
increased his demands, and begged to have some tobacco, and ornaments
for his squaws. Alick promised the latter, and advised him to trust to
his generosity about other things. At length the bargain was concluded,
and the packs being brought in and found to contain the skins the Indian
had stated, the guns, powder, and shot were handed to him. Doing th