EPISODES 243 



ous countenances, while my heart throbbed with joy at 

 the anticipation of their intoxication. The crew immedi- 

 ately began to beat their bellies and sing, as they passed 

 the bottle from mouth to mouth. How often did I wish 

 the flask ten times its size, and filled with aqua-fortis ! I 

 observed that the squaws drank more freely than the 

 warriors, and again my spirits were about to be depressed, 

 when the report of a gun was heard at a distance. The 

 Indians all jumped on their feet. The singing and drink- 

 ing were both brought to a stand, and I saw, with inex- 

 pressible joy, the men walk off to some distance and talk to 

 the squaws. I knew that they were consulting about me, 

 and I foresaw that in a few moments the warriors would 

 go to discover the cause of the gun having been fired so 

 near their camp. I expected that the squaws would be 

 left to guard me. Well, sir, it was just so. They 

 returned ; the men took up their guns and walked away. 

 The squaws sat down again, and in less than five minutes 

 had my bottle up to their dirty mouths, gurgling down 

 their throats the remains of the whiskey. 



" With what pleasure did I see them becoming more 

 and more drunk, until the liquor took such hold of them 

 that it was quite impossible for these women to be of any 

 service. They tumbled down, rolled about, and began to 

 snore: when I, having no other chance of freeing myself 

 from the cords that fastened me, rolled over and over 

 towards the fire, and, after a short time, burned tliem asun- 

 der. I rose on my feet, stretched my stiffened sinews, 

 snatched up my rifle, and, for once in my life, spared that 

 of Indians. I now recollect how desirous I once or twice 

 felt to lay open the skulls of the wretches with my toma- 

 hawk; but when I again thought upon killing beings 

 unprepared and unable to defend themselves, it looked 

 like murder without need, and I gave up the idea. 



" But, sir, I felt determined to mark the spot, and Vv'alk- 

 ing to a thrifty ash sapling, I cut out of it three large 



