The Fur Bringers | Page 4

the
white men.
Mrs. Goussard as a full-blooded Cree was considerably below Peter's
half-breed wife in the social scale, and she knew better than to make a
call uninvited. Even in the north, woman, the conservator, maintains
the distinctions.
"Stay all night," urged Peter when formal greetings had been
exchanged. "Bring your family ashore."
Poly Goussard shook his head. Poly had a chest like a barrel, a face the
color of Baldwin apples and a pair of rolling, gleaming, sloe-black eyes.
His head of curly black hair was famous; some one had called him the

"Newfoundland dog."
"I promise my wife I sleep wit' her folks to-night," he said. "It is ten
miles yet. I jus' come ashore for a little talk."
"Fine!" said Peter, "we're spoiling for news. Come on up to the store
and have a cigar."
Seven hundred miles from the railway a cigar is something of a
phenomenon. Poly Goussard displayed twenty dazzling teeth and made
haste to follow. The three men entered the store and found seats on
boxes and bales.
CHAPTER II.
FORT ENTERPRISE.
"Me, I work all winter at Fort Enterprise," said Poly.
"So I heard," said Peter. "You've had quite a trip."
The rosy half-breed shrugged. "It is easy. Jus' floatin' down the Spirit
River six days."
"What kind of a job did they give you at Enterprise?" asked Peter.
"I drove a team, me, haulin' logs to the saw-mill," said Poly. "There is
plentee work at Fort Enterprise."
"The Company's most profitable post," remarked Peter to Ambrose.
"They have everything their own way there." The look which
accompanied this suggested to Ambrose it would be a good place for
Minot & Doane to start a branch.
"What did you think of the place, Poly?" asked Ambrose.
The half-breed flung up his hands and dramatically rolled his eyes.
"Wa! Wa! Towasasuak! It is a gran' place! Jus' lak outside! Trader him

live in great big house all make of smooth boards and paint' yellow and
red lak the sun! Never I see before such a tall house, and so many
rooms inside full of fine chairs and tables so smoot' and shiny.
"He is so reech he put blankets on the floor to walk on, w'at you call
carrpitt. Every day he has a white cloth on the table, and a little one to
wipe his hands! I have seen it! And silver dishes!"
"There is style for you!" said Peter, with a whimsical roll of his eye in
Ambrose's direction.
"There is moch farming by the river at Fort Enterprise," Poly went on;
"and plaintee grain grow. There is a mill to grind flour. Steam mak' it
go lak the steamboat. They eat eggs and butter at Fort Enterprise, and
think not'ing of it. Christmas I have turkey and cranberry sauce. I am
going back, me."
"They say the trader John Gaviller is a hard man," suggested Peter.
Poly shrugged elaborately. "Maybe. He owe me not'ing. Me, I would
not farm for him nor trade my fur at his store. Those people are his
slaves. But he pay a strong man good wages. I will tak' his wages and
snap my fingers!
"But wait!" cried Poly with a sparkling eye. "The 'mos' won'erful thing
I see at Fort Enterprise--Wa!--the laktrek light! Her shine in little
bottles lak pop, but not so big. John Gaviller, him clap his hands, so!
and Wa! she shine!
"Indians, him t'ink it is magic. But I am no fool. I know John Gaviller
make the laktrek in an engine in the mill. Me, I have seen that engine. I
see blue fire inside lak falling stars.
"Gaviller send the laktrek to the store inside a wire. He send some to
his house too. They said it cook the dinner, but I think that is a lie. If a
man touch that wire they say he will jomp to the roof! Me? I did not try
it."

Peter chuckled. "Good man!" he said.
The wonders of Fort Enterprise were not new to Ambrose. Other
travelers the preceding summer had brought the same tale. With the air
that politeness demanded he only half listened, and pursued his own
thoughts.
On the other hand Peter, who delighted in his humble friends, drew out
Poly fully. The half-breed told about the bringing in of the winter's
catch of fur; of the launching of the great steamboat for the summer
season, and many other things.
"Enterprise is sure a wonderful place!" said Peter encouragingly.
"There is something else," said Poly proudly. "At Fort Enterprise there
is a white girl!"
The simple sentence had the effect of the ringing of an alarm going
inside the dreamy Ambrose. He drew a careful mask over his face, and
leaned farther into the shadow.
"So!" said Peter with