238 THE BIG CANOE

to marry me, his people will never give their con-
sent after they have visited my father’s house and
seen my blanket. Why did I ever weave such a miser-
able, disgraceful thing!”

The next day the Chilcats arrayed themselves in
their finest apparel and journeyed to Fort Simpson
across the bay. Mighty was the great fort in those
days when the trading-post was still a source of
wonder to all the tribes of the Northland. High and
strong was the stockade of logs that surrounded the
vast inclosure, guarding the buildings of the Hud-
son’s Bay Company—the huge warehouse, the store,
and the dwellings of the men—from attack by any
of the warlike tribes that were encamped around it
for many months of the year.

Close to the stockade, under the tall bastions where
huge cannon stood and guards were stationed day
and night, the villages of the two most powerful
Tsimshian chiefs were strung out along the shore,
one on each side of the great barred gate. Beyond,
on a neck of land, were seven other villages of Tsim-
shian chiefs who had moved from their ancient
hunting-grounds upon the Skeena and Nass rivers
and built near the fort.

Just before Kali’s people reached the sandy beach
in front of the gate, a long canoe bearing the young
Haida chief glided into position beside them, ar-
rogantly pushing aside the smaller canoes that ob-
structed its path. For a moment Kali could have