ave been a long time, no doubt."

"Oh, I can tell you that," cried Heywood.

"You?" said Jasper in surprise.

"Ay; the Company was started nearly two hundred years ago by Prince
Rupert, who was the first Governor, and that's the reason the country
came to be called Rupert's Land. You know its common name is `the
Hudson's Bay Territory,' because it surrounds Hudson's Bay."

"Why, where did you learn that?" said Jasper, "I thought I knowed a-most
everything about the Company; but I must confess I never knew that about
Prince Rupert before."

"I learned it from books," said the artist.

"Books!" exclaimed Jasper, "I never learned nothin' from books--more's
the pity. I git along well enough in the trappin' and shootin' way
without 'em; but I'm sorry I never learned to read. Ah! I've a great
opinion of books--so I have."

The worthy hunter shook his head solemnly as he said this in a low
voice, more to himself than to his companions, and he continued to
mutter and shake his head for some minutes, while he knocked the ashes
out of his pipe. Having refilled and relighted it, he drew his blanket
over his shoulder, laid his head upon a tuft of grass, and continued to
smoke until he fell asleep, and allowed the pipe to fall from his lips.

The Indian followed his example, with this difference, that he laid
aside his pipe, and drew the blanket over his head and under his feet,
and wrapped it round him in such a way that he resembled a man sewed up
in a sack.

Heywood was thus compelled to shut his sketch-book; so he also wrapped
himself in his blanket, and was soon sound asleep.

The camp-fire gradually sank low. Once or twice the end of a log fell,
sending up a bright flame and a shower of sparks, which, for a few
seconds, lighted up the scene again and revealed the three slumbering
figures. But at last the fire died out altogether, and left the
encampment in such thick darkness that the sharpest eye would have
failed to detect the presence of man in that distant part of the lone
wilderness.

CHAPTER FOUR.

MOSQUITOES--CAMP-FIRE TALK.

There is a certain fly in the American forests which is worthy of
notice, because it exercises a great influence over the happiness of man
in those regions. This fly is found in many other parts of the world,
but it swarms in immense numbers in America, particularly in the swampy
districts of that continent, and in the hot months of summer. It is
called a mosquito--pro