of it. The old man answered but one word, and that
was:

"Niskepesim." ("The goose moon.")

"Yes," said Kinesasis, who had just come in, "it has surely come. Some
passing hunters saw some wild geese near the mouth of the river, at Lake
Winnipeg, and others who were out spearing muskrats said that they heard
flocks of them passing over during the night."

Great indeed was the excitement everywhere at this news. It rapidly
flew from Sagasta-weekee to the fort, and then on to the mission. As
though by some mysterious telegraphy, it passed from one Indian
settlement to another, yea, from wigwam to wigwam, until the cry
everywhere was, "Niskepesim! Niskepesim!" ("The goose moon! The goose
moon!")

Why there should be such commotion among these northern Indians about
the arrival of the wild geese has long been a puzzle to outsiders who
happen to be among them at the time. Nevertheless such is the case.
The fact that this moon is really the beginning of spring, which is so
welcome, after the long and dreary winter, may have something to do with
this general excitement and gladness. It is really the first month that
the family have a flitting out from the close, confined houses or
wigwams in which they have passed the cold, dreary months. Then it
brings them a welcome change of diet, which is much prized after the
long six months' dining twenty-one times a week on frozen whitefish,
with only the variation of a little venison, muskrat, or beaver.

At Sagasta-weekee the excitement was as great as anywhere else. Mr
Ross had to exert a good deal of authority to keep some of his men at
work after they had seen a great flock of these splendid grey geese fly
over their heads. Over at the mission Mr Hurlburt had failed
completely in holding his men. He had been for some time urging them to
clear up and put under cultivation what ground they had around their
village that was good and fertile. At a good deal of expense he had
secured a fine supply of axes, hoes, spades, and other necessary
implements, as well as seeds, to help them. For some days they had
worked industriously and well, and there was every prospect of a large
portion of the ground being prepared and planted. One day, when Mr
Hurlburt had about thirty men hard at work in the fields, what should
come flying along on the south wind but a great flock of geese? They
were in broken ranks, not more than fifty feet above the ground, and
evidently tired and