130 itf THE DAYS OF AUDUBON 



attracted my eye. I moved toward it, full of confidence 

 that it proceeded from the camp of some wandering In- 

 dians. I was mistaken. I discovered by its glare that it 

 was from the hearth of a small log cabin, and that a tall 

 figure passed and repassed between it and me, as if busily 

 engaged in household arrangements. 



" I reached the spot, and presenting myself at the door, 

 asked the tall figure, which proved to be a woman, if I 

 might take shelter under her roof for the night? Her 

 voice was gruff, and her dress negligently thrown about 

 her. She answered in the affirmative. I walked in, took a 

 wooden stool, and quietly seated myself by the fire. The 

 next object that attracted my notice was a finely formed 

 young Indian, resting his head between his hands, with his 

 elbows on his knees. A long bow rested against the log 

 wall near him, while a quantity of arrows and two or three 

 raccoon skins lay at his feet. He moved not; he apparently 

 breathed not. Accustomed to the habits of the Indians, 

 and knowing that they pay little attention to the approach 

 of civilized strangers, I addressed him in French, a lan- 

 guage not infrequently partially known to the people of 

 that neighborhood. He raised his head, pointed to one of 

 his eyes with his finger, and gave me a significant glance 

 with the other; his face was covered with blood. 



" The fact was, that an hour before this, as he was in 

 the act of discharging an arrow at a raccoon in the top of 

 a tree, the arrow had split upon the cord, and sprung back 



