is same otter trap. Now, while these northern Indians are great
smokers, they never chew tobacco, but this suspected man, who had in the
Red River country been much with the whites, was nearly always chewing
and spitting. Then there was the suspicious circumstance that a few
days after, he was offering at the Company's store a fine otter skin for
sale. The Indians then were nearly all pagans, and there was no law in
the land but their own tribal one. A secret council was held, and it
was decided to put a watch on this man. Two or three of the cleverest
Indians were appointed to watch his steps. Cunning though he was, they
were too clever for him, and they so well followed him up that they saw
him take a mink out of a trap. Then, resetting the trap, he hid the
mink under his coat, and rapidly disappeared in the forest. The
detectives did not rush out and capture him. They did not even let him
know of their presence. As quietly as they had followed him, so they
did return. The secret council was again summoned. A message was sent
to a noted conjurer of the tribe, famous for his deadly poisons. Two
days after a big Indian lay dead in the birch wigwam of one of the Red
River Indian families. The burial was very quick and quiet. Not much
was said. Indians do not, on some subjects, talk much, but it was
observed for long years after that no hunter ever complained of his
traps being robbed."

"I cannot see," said Frank, "why any honest person could complain of any
such laws as those. They were certain that he was guilty, and then they
quickly punished him."

"Yes," said Mr Ross; "to some it may seem severe that he had to be
killed, but the severity in this case crushed out the crime. None dare
imitate him for fear of suffering his doom."

Winter Adventures of Three Boys--by Egerton R. Young

CHAPTER FOURTEEN.

HOME AMUSEMENTS AND STUDIES--HAPPY DAYS AT SAGASTA-WEEKEE--STORIES OF
THE EARLY HUNTERS--METHODS OF HUNTING BEFORE THE INTRODUCTION OF
FIREARMS--WOLVES MORE DREADED THEN--STORY OF TWO OF KINESASIS'S
CHILDREN--KILLED BY WOLVES--SHAKOONA'S SORROW--SAVED BY THE CARESSES OF
LITTLE CHILDREN.

Sagasta-Weekee was at all times a cozy, homelike place, but never did it
seem more inviting and comfortable than when blizzard storms roared
round it, or when fierce snowstorms seemed to make their mightiest
efforts to see if they could not bury it in their enormous drifts of
whitest snow. These terrific wi