The counting-room.

Every one knows the general appearance of a counting-room. There are one or two peculiar¹ features about such apartments that are quite unmistakable and very characteristic; and the counting-room at Fort Garry, although many hundred miles distant from other specimens² of its race, and, from the peculiar circumstances of its position, not therefore likely to bear them much resemblance, possessed⁴ one or two features of similarity, in the shape of two large desks and several very tall stools, besides sundry⁵ ink-bottles, rulers, books, and sheets of blotting-paper. But there were other implements⁶ there, savouring strongly of the backwoods and savage⁷ life, which merit more particular notice.

The room itself was small, and lighted by two little windows, which opened into the courtyard. The entire apartment was made of wood. The floor was of unpainted fir boards. The walls were of the same material, painted blue from the floor upwards⁸ to about three feet, where the blue was unceremoniously stopped short by a stripe of bright red, above which the somewhat fanciful decorator had laid on a coat of pale yellow; and the ceiling, by way of variety, was of a deep ochre. As the occupants of Red River office were, however, addicted⁹ to the use of tobacco and tallow candies, the original colour of the ceiling had vanished entirely¹⁰, and that of the walls had considerably¹¹ changed.

There were three doors in the room (besides the door of entrance), each opening into another apartment, where the three clerks were

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