ge,
painted his nose bright red. The effect on his brother braves was
solemnising. It was not so impressive to his white observers, as it
suggested to them the civilised toper.

"The great white chief," began Rednose, with a slow deliberation that
was meant to convey a settled and unalterable conviction, "is a fool!"

"Waugh!" exclaimed the audience with emphasis, for the language was
strong, and uttered with intense vigour, and that quite accorded with
their tastes, so they agreed with the sentiment without regard to its
signification. This species of rhetoric, and its effects, are sometimes
observed in connection with civilised gatherings.

The great white chief thus irreverently referred to, we regret to say,
was Lord Selkirk.

"The great white chief," continued Rednose, availing himself of the
force of emphatic repetition, "is a fool! He is a child! He knows
nothing! He comes across the great salt lake from the rising sun, with
the air and aspect of an owl, thinking to teach us--the great Cree
nation--wisdom!"

"Waugh!" from the audience, one of whom, having a cold in his head,
sneezed inadvertently, and was scowled at by the orator for full two
minutes in absolute silence. If that Cree warrior--he was on his first
war-path--possessed anything akin to the feelings of the Paleface he
must have suffered martyrdom.

"Every one knows," continued the orator, resuming, "that the Crees are
wise. They can tell a fox from a buffalo. They understand the
difference between fire and water. No Paleface sage needs to come from
the rising sun to tell them to eat when they are hungry--to drink when
they are dry. But this Paleface chief comes with the eyes of the great
northern owl, and says he comes to do us good. And how does he begin to
do us good?"

Here there was a very decided "Waugh!" as though to say, "Ay, that's the
question," and then a solemn pause for more--during which the man with
the cold drew the reins very tight.

"How does he begin to do us good?" proceeded the orator. "By entering
into an agreement with _us_ for the use of _our_ lands--and asking our
enemies the Saulteaux to take part in that agreement!"

The sounds of indignation and ferocity that followed this statement are
not translatable. After a gaze of unutterable meaning round the circle
Rednose went on--

"This, _this_ is the way in which the owl-eyed chief of the Palefaces
begins to do us good! If this is the way he begins, in