Among Other Matters, Major Jarvis Had To Report On These, Find Out How Many Were Left, And Exactly Where They Were. When He Invited Me To Join His Expedition, With These Questions In View, I Needed No Pressing.

Our first business was to get guides, and now our troubles began.

Through the traders we found four natives who knew the Buffalo range - they were Kiya, Sousi, Kirma, and Peter Squirrel. However, they seemed in no way desirous of guiding any one into that country. They dodged and delayed and secured many postponements, but the Royal Mounted Police and the Hudson's Bay Company are the two mighty powers of the land, so, urged by an officer of each, these worthies sullenly assembled to meet us in Sousi's cabin.

Sousi, by the way, is Chipewyan for Joseph, and this man's name was Joseph Beaulieu. Other northern travellers have warned all that came after them to beware of the tribe of Beaulieu, so we were on guard.

Sullen silence greeted us as we entered; we could feel their covert antagonism. Jarvis is one of those affable, good-tempered individuals that most persons take for "easy." In some ways he may be so, but I soon realised that he was a keen judge of men and their ways, and he whispered to me: "They mean to block us if possible." Sousi understood French and had some English, but the others professed ignorance of everything but Chipewyan. So it was necessary to call in an interpreter.

Enter page number Go  Previous Next
Page 30 of 252
Words from 7849 to 8099 of 67135