o it for sympathy.

With an aspect of the profoundest resignation he made his bow and left
the Presence.

But La Certe was not in the least put out by this failure. He went to
his tent, and recounted the interview to his squaw, who, when he
entered, was in the act of giving her child, a creature of about four
years of age, one or two draws of her pipe, to let it taste how nice it
was.

Smoking in calm placidity, the amiable pair discussed the subject. The
conclusion they came to was, as usual, harmonious.

"I think he will agree to lend it next time I go to him," said La Certe,
hopefully.

"He will give in," replied Slowfoot, decidedly.

The four-year-old could not understand the subject, and made no comment;
but it howled for another smoke, and got it.

La Certe was wrong, and his wife was right--as usual. Old McKay did not
agree to "lend" his canoe the "next time," or the next again, but he did
"give in" at last, more, perhaps, to get rid of the half-breed's
importunity than because of good-will, and sold the canoe to him--on
credit.

When that winter was over, the Hudson's Bay Company again encouraged the
settlers to return, under promise of protection, and the spring found
the persevering people, in spite of all difficulties and previous
failures, busy putting into the ground what little seed they possessed,
and otherwise cultivating the soil.

Some of them there were, however, who, after lending a hand in this
work, determined to provide second strings to their bows by following
the buffalo-hunters to the plains. These were chiefly the young and
strong men, such as Dan Davidson and his brother Peter, Fergus McKay,
Antoine Dechamp, and Jacques Bourassin, among many others.

La Certe also went, as well as his squaw and the four-year-old. He
managed the thing characteristically thus.

When the half-breeds were making preparations for their spring hunt, he
paid a visit to Duncan McKay, who was busy at the time helping his
father and brother to rebuild their house. Indeed the edifice was
almost rebuilt, for the erection of small wooden houses does not usually
take long.

"You've come to beg, borrow, or steal, no doubt," said Cloudbrow, who
was worthy of his nickname, for he was as short of temper as Duncan
senior.

No, La Certe had come to do none of these things, he said, with a
conciliatory smile.

"Well, then, you can't have come to buy or to ask advances," growled
Duncan; "for you see that