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La Certe could not, dare not, face his wife without these articles. He pleaded earnestly. "Slowfoot is so clever wi' the needle," he said. "See! she send you a pair of moccasins." The wily man here drew from the breast of his capote a pair of beautifully made moccasins, soft as chamois leather, and richly ornamented with dyed quills of the porcupine.
He was a favourite with La Certe, who made room for him, and at once offered him the pipe, but Billie declined. "No, thank you, La Certe. I have not learned to smoke yet." "Ha! you did not begin young enough," said the half-breed, glancing proudly at his own offspring.
"I have a message to you from the Governor," continued the Elder, taking a piece of paper out of his pocket. "For me!" exclaimed La Certe, in surprise. "Yes. He heard that you are hard up just now, and that you are going up the river a considerable distance to hunt is not that so?" "Yes, that is true. We start off to-morrow."
This latter speech was more in the tone of a request than a command, and the implied messenger from the opposite side of the fire was the baby Baby La Certe. We never knew its name, if it had one, and we have reason to believe that it was a female baby. At the time, baby was quite able to walk at least to waddle or toddle.
It need scarcely be told that the lazy one was Francois La Certe. "There is no hurry," he said, when the hunters were assembling for the start; "plenty of time. My horse has not yet recovered from the fatigues of the journey. And who knows but the report of the buffalo being so near may be false? I will wait and see the result. To-morrow will be time enough to begin.
A rush of despair came upon the poor youth just then, and the idea of ending his misery by taking his own life occurred to him for a fleeting moment, as he gazed wistfully around on water, wood, and sky, and observed the laden and toiling men who were slowly clambering up the steep towards him La Certe being in front. Just then an object among the grass at his feet attracted his attention.
"If you will only do your best for a day or two," said Dan, "until we reach the mouth of this river, that will do, for there my own hunting canoe was left; and, once in that, La Certe and I can go ahead and tell them you are coming."
McKay laughed; nevertheless he swallowed the bait and was pleased. He finally handed the goods to La Certe, who, when he had obtained all that he could possibly squeeze out of the store-keeper, bundled up the whole, made many solemn protestations of gratitude and honest intentions, and went off to cheer Slowfoot with the news of his success.
"To go with me on a shooting expedition to Lake Winnipeg for a week or two." "O no! I will not decline that," returned La Certe, brightening up. "Shooting is not labour. It is amusement, with labour sufficient to make after-repose delightful. And I will be glad to leave my home for a time, for it is no longer the abode of felicity."
He saluted them with a familiar and hasty "bonjour," as he stamped and beat the snow vigorously from his garments. "What? Antoine Dechamp!" exclaimed La Certe, rising slowly to welcome his friend; "you seem in hurry?" "Ay in great hurry! They are starving on the plains! Many are dead! Davidson has come in! He is more than half-dead! Can hardly tell the news! Drops asleep when he is speaking!
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