l
safe and sound, with every ounce of our property along."

"You have the best of me, I must admit," said the Hudson Bay man, "for
I have never been west of St. John myself, although we make the
Dunvegan run regularly all the time, of course. They tell me it is
pretty wild back there in the mountains."

"Yes, sir," said Rob. "The water's pretty fast sometimes; but, you
see, we had two good men with us, and we were very careful."

"You had pretty fair men with _you_, too, didn't you, Alex?" smiled
Saunders, as the tall half-breed came up at that time.

"None better," said Alex, quietly. "We caught a grizzly and a black
bear, not to mention a caribou and a couple of sheep. They seem to me
natural hunters. I'm quite proud of them--so proud that we gave them a
'lob-stick,' Captain."

"And quite right, too," nodded Saunders.

"Oh, well, of course we couldn't have done any of those things without
you and Moise," said Rob. "Anybody can shoot a rifle a little bit, but
not every one could bring the boats out of such water as we have had."

"Well, now, what do you want to do?" resumed Saunders, after a little.
"Here's the _Peace River_ steamer, and you can get a room and a bath
and a meal there whenever you like. Or you can stay here in your tent
and eat with the factor up at the post beyond. I would suggest that
you take in our city before you do much else."

"When were you planning to leave for Vermilion, Captain Saunders?"
inquired Rob.

"Some time to-morrow morning, as soon as we get plenty of wood from
the yard across the river. It's about three hundred and fifty miles to
Vermilion down-stream--that is to say, north of here--but we run it in
two or three days with luck. Coming up it's a little slower, of
course."

"If you don't mind, sir," said Rob at length, "I think we'd rather
sleep in our tent as long as we can--the steamboat would be very nice,
but it looks too much like a house."

Saunders laughed, and, turning, led the way through the Indian
villages and up toward the single little street which made the village
of Peace River Landing, ancient post of the Hudson Bay. Here he
introduced the young travelers, who at once became the sensation of
the hour for all the inhabitants, who now thronged the streets about
them, but who all stood silent and respectful at a distance.

They found the Hudson Bay post, as Jesse had said, more like a country
store than the fur-trading post which they had pictured for
them