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

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AWAY IN THE WILDERNESS.
to their pipes after their comrades were asleep.
Even these became tired at last of the sound of
their own voices, and gradually every noise in the
camp was hushed, except the cracMing of the fires
as they sank by degrees and went out, leaving the
place in dead silence and total darkness.
With the first peep of dawn the guide arose.
In ten minutes after his first shout the whole
camp was astir. The men yawned a good deal at
first and grumbled a little, and stretched them¬
selves violently, and yawned again. But soon they
shook off laziness and sprang to their work. Pots,
pans, kettles, and pemican bags were tossed into
the boats, and in the course of half-an-hour they
were ready to continue the voyage.
Jasper stood beside the guide looking on at the
busy scene.
“ Heard you any news from the Saskatchewan
of late,” said he.
“ Not much,” replied the guide ; “ there’s little
stirring there just now, except among the Indians,
who have been killing and scalping each other as
usual. But, by the way, that reminds me there has
been a sort of row between the Indians and the
Company’s people at Fort Erie.
“ Fort Erie!” said Jasper with a start.
“ Ay, that’s the name o’ the fort, if I remem¬
ber right,” returned the guide. “ It seems that
one o’ the men there, I think they call him La-