as well as amused at the eagerness of the question, "I start
at once. Indeed, I would not have landed here had I not seen your
party. You appear to be anxious. Why do you ask?"

"Because it is of the utmost importance to me that I should be in Red
River on a certain date, and I fear that that is all but impossible
now."

Dan then explained, as briefly as possible, his circumstances.
Fortunately, the Trader was a sympathetic man. He ordered his crews to
embark at once and bade the two captives take a brief, if not an
affectionate, farewell of their late captors.

"I cannot promise you to push on," he said, "at a rate which will
satisfy you--or even accomplish the end you have in view--but I will do
the best I can, without overworking my men. I fear, however, that you
will have to make up your mind to a delayed wedding!"

"If you will only do your best for a day or two," said Dan, "until we
reach the mouth of this river, that will do, for there my own hunting
canoe was left; and, once in that, La Certe and I can go ahead and tell
them you are coming."

"Nay, that would be requiting me ill--returning evil for good--to take
the wind out of my sails and make my news stale," returned the Trader,
with a good-natured laugh.

"True, I did not think of that," said Dan. "Then we will say not a word
about it until you arrive."

"Yes, we will be dumb," added La Certe. "Even Slowfoot shall fail to
drag it out of me!"

And thus it was arranged. The (late) Nor'-westers continued their
voyage to Canada, and the Hudson's Bay men resumed their descent of the
Winnipeg River.

Arrived at the great lake, the anxious pair did not wait even to rest,
but at once embarked in their little hunting canoe.

"I'm sorry you are such an unpresentable bridegroom," said the Trader,
when they were about to separate. He referred to the cuts and bruises
with which poor Dan's countenance was temporarily disfigured.

"Never mind," returned our hero, with a laugh, "wait till you see the
bride; she will more than make up for the shortcomings of the groom.
Adieu!--_au revoir_!" They pushed off, and now began a race against
time, which, in the matters at least of perseverance, persistency, hard
labour, and determination, beat all the records of bicyclists and
horsemen from the beginning of time. Cyclists have frequent down-hills
to help and rest them; Dan and his friend had no such aids. It was all
either dead level or upstream. Dick Tu