ation of his red friends, who entertained a
whole some feeling of contempt for any appearance of levity on high
occasions. But Charley's face was of that agreeable stamp that, though
gentle and bland when lighted up with a smile, is particularly masculine
and manly in expression when in repose, and the frown that knit his
brows when he observed the bad impression he had given almost reinstated
him in their esteem. But his popularity became great, and the
admiration of his swarthy friends greater, when he rose and made an
eloquent speech in English, which Jacques translated into the Indian
language.

He told them, in reply to the chief's oration (wherein that warrior had
complimented his pale-faced brothers on their numerous good qualities),
that he was delighted and proud to meet with his Indian friends; that
the object of his mission was to acquaint them with the fact that a new
trading-fort was established not far off, by himself and his comrades,
for their special benefit and behoof; that the stores were full of goods
which he hoped they would soon obtain possession of, in exchange for
furs; that he had travelled a great distance on purpose to see their
land and ascertain its capabilities in the way of fur-bearing animals
and game; that he had not been disappointed in his expectations, as he
had found the animals to be as numerous as bees, the fish plentiful in
the rivers and lakes, and the country at large a perfect paradise. He
proceeded to tell them further that he expected they would justify the
report he had heard of them, that they were a brave nation and good
hunters, by bringing in large quantities of furs.

Being strongly urged by Jacques to compliment them on their various good
qualities, Charley launched out into an extravagantly poetic vein, said
that he had _heard_ (but he hoped to have many opportunities of seeing
it proved) that there was no nation under the sun equal to them in
bravery, activity, and perseverance; that he had heard of men in olden
times who made it their profession to fight with wild bulls for the
amusement of their friends, but he had no doubt whatever their courage
would be made conspicuous in the way of fighting wild bears and
buffaloes, not for the amusement but the benefit of their wives and
children (he might have added, of the Hudson's Bay Company, but he
didn't, supposing that that was self-evident, probably). He
complimented them on the way in which they had conducted th