ry, if
you chanced to be dwelling among them, and yet you say they are not
brave. That would not be sticking to truth, Jacques, would it?"

"Well," replied Jacques, with a smile, "perhaps not exactly; but I'm
sure there could be small harm in helping the miserable objects to boast
sometimes, for they've little else than boasting to comfort them."

"And yet, Jacques, I cannot help feeling that truth is a grand, a
glorious thing, that should not be trifled with even in small matters."

Jacques opened his eyes a little. "Then do you think, master, that a
man should _never_ tell a lie, no matter what fix he may be in?"

"I think not, Jacques."

The hunter paused a few minutes, and looked as if an unusual train of
ideas had been raised in his mind by the turn their conversation had
taken. Jacques was a man of no religion, and little morality, beyond
what flowed from a naturally kind, candid disposition, and entertained
the belief that the _end_, if a good one, always justifies the _means_--
a doctrine which, had it been clearly exposed to him in all its bearings
and results, would have been spurned by his straightforward nature with
the indignant contempt that it merits.

"Mr Charles," he said at length, "I once travelled across the plains to
the head waters of the Missouri with a party of six trappers. One night
we came to a part of the plains which was very much broken up with wood
here and there, and bein' a good place for water we camped. While the
other lads were gettin' ready the supper, I started off to look for a
deer, as we had been unlucky that day--we had shot nothin'. Well, about
three miles from the camp I came upon a band o' somewhere about thirty
Sioux (ill-looking, sneaking dogs they are, too!) and before I could
whistle they rushed upon me, took away my rifle and hunting-knife, and
were dancing round me like so many devils. At last a big, black-lookin'
thief stepped forward, and said in the Cree language, `White men seldom
travel through this country alone; where are your comrades?' Now,
thought I, here's a nice fix! If I pretend not to understand, they'll
send out parties in all directions, and as sure as fate they'll find my
companions in half an hour, and butcher them in cold blood (for, you
see, we did not expect to find Sioux, or indeed any Injins, in them
parts); so I made believe to be very narvous, and tried to tremble all
over and look pale. Did you ever try to look pale and frightene