Then for a while the Factors sat smoking in silence. The moon had
mounted higher and was now out of sight behind the tops of the
neighbouring trees, but its reflection was brilliantly rippled upon the
water. At one of the fires a French half-breed was singing in a rich
barytone one of the old _chansons_ that were so much in vogue among the
voyageurs of by-gone days--_À la Claire Fontaine_. After an encore,
silence again held sway, until around another fire hearty laughter
began to play.

"The boys over there must be yarning again," remarked, the Chief
Factor, as he pointed with his pipe, "let's go over, and listen awhile."


BILLY BRASS TELLS ANOTHER STORY

It was Oo-koo-hoo's fire and among his men was seated that ever-welcome
member of another crew--Old Billy Brass. Evidently he had just
finished telling one of his mirth-provoking stories, as the men were
good-naturedly questioning him about it; for, as we sat down, he
continued:

"Yes, sir, it's true; fire attraks 'em. Why, I've knowed 'em come from
miles round when they catched a glimpse of it, an' as long as there's
danger o' white bears bein' round you'll never again find Old Billy
Brass tryin' to sleep beside a big fire. No, sir, not even if His
Royal Highness the Commissioner or His Lordship the Bishop gives the
word."

Then he sat there slowly drawing upon his pipe with apparently no
intention of adding a single word to what he had already said. Lest