Volume 1

2o6
NOT A SURPRISING PROPOSAL.
and keeping in the thick of the herd until he killed as
many as he wished. He came in to-day with a loup-cervier
* that he had caught in the plains in a fair chase and
killed with his small ax ; he certainly is an extraordinary
runner. He is a tall man, spare and lean, of a mild disposition,
but wicked when provoked to anger.
Nov. 4th. We crossed Red river on the ice, as this was
an extraordinarily early winter ; however, it did not last
long. On the 6th the river was again clear of ice, and fine
mild weather ensued until the 17th, when it began to snow,
and we once more ran sleighs.
Nov. 24th. A day so dark that I was obliged to use a
candle to write at midday. We had a heavy fall of snow
and hail, with tremendous claps of thunder and lightning,
which continued most of the day, and a strong N. E. wind.
About 18 inches of snow fell in 12 hours. The river
froze again.
Nov. 26th. One of my men, who was much in debt,
offered me his services as long as he could perform any
duty, on condition I would clothe him and allow him to
for himself he
take a woman he had fallen in love with ;
asked nothing but dressed leather to make a shirt, capot,
and trousers, all the year round, and a little tobacco. He is
an able-bodied young man. This proposal did not surprise
me, having seen several people as foolish as he is, who
would not hesitate to sign an agreement of perpetual bondage
on condition of being permitted to have a woman who
struck their fancy.
Nov. 2yth. We cannot stir out doors without snowshoes.
Buffalo are very numerous; I shot three cows. The cold
was so severe that I froze all one side of my face, which was
soon an entire scab and very painful.
Dec. 2Sth.
Buffalo passing in droves within 100 yards of
the fort. My winter stock complete.
8 Canada lynx, Lynx canadensis, of northerly parts of America, differing in
several respects from the common bay lynx or wild cat, L. rufus : see Lewis,
and Clark, ed. 1893, pp. 2ii, 734.