about it ever since I was knee high to a grasshopper. You see, my great
grandfather used to live in Montreal in the days when the Northwest Fur
Company was in competition with the Hudson Bay Company, and my ancestor
was employed each Spring to set out from Montreal with some, big
batteaus manned by French Canadian voyageurs, who would row and sail all
the way through most of the Great Lakes to Fort William, where the agent
had collected heaps of valuable pelts from the trappers and the Injuns
after the season was done. These he'd fetch all the way back to
Montreal again, the flat bottom boats being loaded down with the bales.
And let me tell you that was taking risks some; but they raised men in
them days, I reckon, men that never allowed themselves to think of such
a thing as danger, because they were always facing some sort of perils."

"I guess you're, about right, Davy," admitted Thad; "and I often sit and
wonder how it'd seem if a fellow lived away back in those days before
the times of automobiles, motorboats, telephones, talking machines and
electricity."

"Huh!" grunted Bumpus, "according to my mind, what dangers they faced
ain't to be mentioned in the same breath as them we have hovering over
us all the while. For instance, what if Thad here just crooked his
hand, wouldn't we be apt to run smack into that other boat that's goin'
to pass us right now.

"And say, fellows," remarked Giraffe, in a low, mysterious tone, that
somehow managed to thrill the others, as no doubt he intended it should;
"just take a peek at the men in that boat, will you? Somehow I don't
know just why, but they make me think of pirates, if ever they have such
critters up here on Old Superior. And take it from me, boys, right now
one of the bunch is looking us over through a marine glass. Like as not