seem to touch the reins, vault into the saddle, and reach the end of the
street in the same instant. The speed and strength of these small horses
is wonderful; their glossy coats and well-kept manes testify to the care
taken of them. An Indian never beats his horse, nor drags at the reins in
the cruel way so common among more "civilized" riders, but sits his horse
as though it were part of himself. A long train of ox-carts is waiting to
be loaded for the distant prairie hamlets. The half-breed driver stands
by in trousers and checked shirt, a loosely knotted handkerchief about
his neck. He sometimes wears a hat, but oftener his short, shaggy black
hair is his only head-covering. His squaw sits in the bottom of the
waggon; his little brown papooses are peeping out from between the bars
at the side. Other children, laced up in queer, birch-bark cradles or
moss bags, leaving only their arms free, and the upper part of their
bodies visible, lean against shop-doors or scattered bales of goods.

I watched some Indians shopping, and was astonished to see how invariably
they waived aside inferior goods and chose such materials as merinos at a
dollar and a half to two dollars (7s. 6d. to 10s.) a yard. One of the
merchants told me it was useless to offer them anything but the best. An
Indian who could not speak English or French, and wanted five things,
divided his money according to his idea of their relative cost in little
piles on the counter, and going through a pantomime descriptive of his
wants, was handed first some silk handkerchiefs. Taking one up, he felt it,
held it up to the light, and throwing it aside, shook his head vigorously,
uttering an "Ugh!" of disgust. When shown a better one he was doubtful, but
upon a much superior article being produced he took it, and willingly
handed over one pile for it. This, however, was too much, and when given
the change, he put it on one of the other piles, and proceeded in the same
way to make the rest of his purchases.