Adventure and adventurers > Away in the wilderness, or, Life among the red Indians and fur-traders of North America

AWAY IN THE WILEEKNESS.
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Sea, standin’ solitary-like in the midst of the
wilderness, as if they had dropped down from the
clouds by mistake and didn’t know exactly what
to do with themselves.”
“ How long have de Company lived V’ inquired
Arrowhead, turning suddenly to Jasper.
The stout hunter felt a little put out. “ A-hem !
I don’t exactly know; but it must have been a
long time, no doubt.”
“ Oh, I can tell you that,” cried Hey wood.
“ You 1” 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 with¬
out ’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