CHRONICLES OF THE CARIBOO 9

‘gold and they hoped to find it coarser above the lakes. This was a
surprise attack, with the thrust right at the Factor’s doorstep.

Then he drove in the clincher: ‘We are going up into that country,
sir, and nothing can stop us. If you don’t want to supply us when
we have the dust right with us to pay for our goods, we know where
we can get them; only it will delay us some. So we thought we would
give you the first chance at our trade, and you could take what satis-
faction you can from being the first Hudson’s Bay Store up in these
mountains to trade with the first of the miners coming into them.
And I’ll miss my guess badly, sir, if before long your trade with the
miners won’t completely outdistance your trade with the Indians for
furs. And that will be all to the good, for you will still have your
trade with the Indians, you see.”

The shrewd Scotch Factor smiled at that as he replied: “I don’t
see that last argument of yours nearly so clearly as I see now that we
can’t keep you miners out of the country. We will lose some of our
Indian trade to rival traders without doubt. But we will have to take
our chances of that. And I’ve no doubt, either, but what we can more
than make it up with our trade with the miners. My advices from
Yale assure me that everything you tell me is auite true and that
there are swarms of miners coming up these rivers. But I didn’t
know they were alregay kere at my doorstep. |

“Another thing that surprises me is to find gentlemen like you
in the mining game, Mr. Dunlevey. That certainly raises my pre-
conceived notions cf miners very considerably. But why shouldn’t a
miner be a gentleman, too? nly it hardly agrees with what I’ve
read of miners. I must say with all candor, Mr. Dunlevey, that it is
a very real pleasure for me to meet with a gentieman who can bring
such sound and convincing Icgic, coupled with as sound a knowledge
of his business, to bear on his arguments for its advancement.” ans

Holding out his hand to Dunlevey, who grasped it warmly as hé
realized he had won his plee—won a signal victory over the traditional
conservatism of this great old Company—the Factor continued: “It is
a very real pleasure to know you, sir, and I’m sure it will be as real
a pleasure to do business with you. And now, having taken this
decision, I hope you will consider the resources of this great Company
at your service, and I assure you it will be my pleasure and privilege
to assist you in every way that I can. Only, I’m afraid that, besides
provisions, ammunition, drygoods and the like, I have very little gear
in stock that would be useful to miners. So I would be very glad of
your assistance in yisting miners’ requirements, tocls, and the like, so
I can order some at once.

“T understand you are buying horses from the Indians here. Well,
they have some fairly good ones, though small, and some very poor
ones also. Better see that those you take are well broken; else they
may give you plenty of trouble up in these wild woods where you.
are going. We have some expert packers here too, sir, whom I ghall