W. A. Fraser

“ A twist in the wind clutched Buckshot's hat and, flaunting it for a hundred yards, threw it to the swift waters of the Athabasca. I laughed; even Savarin, I fancy, smiled; for Buckshot gave a wolflike howl of dismay. However, we were in a hurry, and the hat could keep right on to Grand Rapids for all we cared.
At the mouth of La Biche, Larue's son was waiting with a wagon. Larue père had arranged this transport when leaving home, owing to the low water in La Biche River. He had said nothing of it to me; an Indian loves the extra card up his sleeve. The boy was barren of food. ”

“ Buckshot had a new motive in life. Next to unlimited firewater, there is nothing so great in delight to an Indian as the "doing up" of a paleface.
Buckshot had the stride of a giraffe. He seemed to rest in the collar; when it was smooth going, I verily believe he slept as we traveled. But the two days' strain of Savarin's fierce striving handicapped him almost back to my class.
After a time we came to a long reach of red willows. Perhaps there was a tracking path through this on the eyebrows of the river bank—I even think that at times my feet did strike it ”

“ A marked peculiarity of a small Indian party is, that they never have anything to eat in the tepee.
Also, our commissariat was depleted. Larue had provisioned us to the making of La Biche River, expecting supplies there.
However, the main thing was to press forward, because of the fifty-seven reasons Larue had given me at Pelican. So the canoe was loaded upside down on the wagon, and, marshaled like a body-guard to it, we started.
I have noticed this in the Northland, that it always rains when one has nothing to eat; the hungrier one is, the harder it rains. ”

“ An Indian or a Breed is not much given to words, except when he is making a speech at a tea dance, or is very drunk; so Louis shrugged his shoulders, in tribute to his French ancestry, and in his dark face hung a heavy scowl that was altogether of his Indian extraction. ”

“ Had he but told the true reason, it might have been different; but, in equity, a Breed can no more understand a White Man than a White Man understands a Breed.
1 started with them in two days, leaving the man who had come from Saskatchewan. ”