Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1894-07-19
NUMBER SIXTEEN"
A Romance of Wild Life in the
Canadian Northwest.

A few evenings ago the writer and
several friends were cozily nestled
around the fire One of the company
was a medical man who had spent
twelve years or so in the Canadian
Northwest territories. Outside the at
mosphere was chilly, and the indica-
tions favored colder weather.
eff you could be transported from St
4 John to the prairies on such a day as
we had to-day" remarked the doctor,
"and were ignorant of the changes that
I a few hours bring in that climate, two
surprises would greet you. To-day you
/ observe dotted in countless mum
/ bers over the vast stretches Of prairie
/ sluices or small ponds whose placid
waters would remi I'd you of SO many
mirrors set in rustic frames
Tomorrow morning, as you again
looked over the prairies, the whole face
Of the country would seem 10 he
changed. Protrudipg from every sluice
| you would see cones made of grass. etc.
| These are the winter houses of the
muskrat-reared, finished and occupied
in a single night; as il these fragrant
little creatures possessed the power of
the Wizard Panerates.
That night the sluices would be
sure to freeze, and the muskrats would
live in peace until the spring, when the
Indians make their rounds, plunge the
spear down through the cones, and
thus capture numbers of the occupants.
The rats are in Urine order in the
spring after their long rest The flesh
is eaten aud the skins are taken care OF
by the squaws.
II hese skins, as well as all others,
are kind of legal tender, aud its
common occurrence for the Indian 10
visit a store, make his purchase. take "A
bundle OF ratsllins from under his
arm, and count them out as iive-cent
pieces.
"The Indian department displays
much energy to suppress smallpox
which often creates havoc among the
natives of the plains. Doctors are sent
out regularly TO vaccinate the Indians.
The doctor makes his rounds with the
agent who pays the bounties. a large
tent is pitched, and the tribe is re.
quested to appear. The stipulation is
that all must be vaccinated before re-
ceiving the money.
The Indians are distinguished by
mum bers as well as names, and, as they
are paid so much per head, every mem
Der of family must be produced and
pass through the agents tent. Be-
fore being paid those requiring 1t are
vaccinated.
zone day." said the doctor, II was
vaccinating a tribe of Crees, when a
woman approached with a couple of
children. She had rich, melodious
voice, with Scotch accent When she
spoke stopped for a moment and told
her TO step into the next tent and /
would attend to her in few moments
saw she was not a squaw. and thought
she was the wife of a Hudson's Bay
company employee who wanted to get
vaccinated at the expense of the gov
eminent
while | was speaking the clerk
shouted out: No. l6, and the woman
said in a low voice: i am No. 10 She
barred her arm, and both she and the
children were attended TO. She passed
on. received her bounty, and then out
among the herd of Indians.
The face and voice of that woman
haunted me the rest of the day while J
kept scratching the arms of braves,
squaws, and pappooses-
AT last the days work was over ano
instruments laid aside. After supper ]
set about to satisfy my curiosity as to /
the history of No. 10. A few inquiries
enabled me to locate the shack wher, 1
she put up. and thither bent my way !
THE shack, | may say, is small hut, /
built of clay or mud. A fire can be /
made in the shack The place is SO
constructed that the squaw stands the 4
sticks of wood on their ends SO that I
the fire is fed as if from a self-feeder (
No l6 related to me how and why She
the shack 1t was rather a
romantic story, but yet one full OF sad
ness from beginning to end.
My father, said No. Is, in voice
full of pathos, IS a Scotchman, and is
factor of Fort Policy, belonging to the
Hudson's Bay company. Before the
northwest territories were taken over
az AAto Aht NoAhAi AbA AAnAAtu5 u
miles around. He was a magistrate,
too. and of course administered the
law
When No. 16 reached certain age
she was sent to Scotland in ore of the
ships, which leave for New
York or Fort Nelson a couple of times
each year This was no easy trip in
those days For hundreds Of miles she
had to cross prairies, and then by ca
noe and other conveyances, the great
rivers were traversed until Hudson's
ray was reached. where embarkation
ook place. 1t took some months 10 do
his
When Scotland was reached she en-
red university and remained there
lntil she graduated These were pleas
ut days for the young western girl
he became acquainted with an INTEL
t-f,4trrr