ic8 



for his prifon, clofe adjoining to his own habitation. Him he vifited every 

 night, merely to impart a portion of food, fufficient to continue his ex- 

 igence, and immediately after, without any confoiing difcourfe, to miti- 

 gate the rigour of his confinement, ftiut up the entrance of the cave, co- 

 vered it with leaves and bark, and retired. This unfortunate brother, 

 from having his hair of a fiery red, infeiTtious to the touch, was known 

 among the men of his nation by the name of the red man. After purfuing 

 this favage life for many winters, its unbroken uniformity at length proved 

 fo irkfome to the folitary hunter, that he refolved to procure himfelf a 

 female companion ; and having firfl; provided his brother with a fufficient 

 quantity of water and dried venifon, to fatisfy the calls of nature, during 

 his abfence ; he fet out to realize his projeft. After a journey of many 

 moons, he difcovered by the fmokes that he was in the neighbourhood 

 of a village. He approached it, but declining to prefent himfelf at the 

 houfe of council, he flopped at a remote hut feparated from the other 

 habitations by intervening trees, where finding a folitary woman, he en- 

 tered, and was received in the houfe of a widow. She prefled him to 

 feek the ufual reception of (trangers, by repairing to the village, but he 

 told her it was his defire to remain concealed ; and prefenting her with 

 fome deer's flefli, which he had brought with him for his nights fubfift- 

 ence, he abode there. Ere the morning was yet grey, he arofe and 

 departed, and returned after the clofing in of night, with a deer which 

 he had killed. A portion of the flefli he referved for their domeftic ufe, 

 the remainder he informed the widow fiie might diftribute among her 

 friends, taking care to conceal the caufe by which, inftead of receiving 

 contributions, fl:ie was enabled to beflow. The next morning, he ha- 

 ving departed as before, the widow repaired to the village and pre- 

 fented her venifon to the wife of the chief who was her relation, 

 but without communicating the fecrct. In the evening her gueft 

 appeared, bringing with him two deer of extraordinary excellence. 

 Having power to difpofe of them, flie the next day (the ftranger having 

 left her as before) carried her prefents to the village. Attention was now 

 awakened to the fource of the widow's wealth, flie declined to fpeak 

 aloud, but gave it to be underflood jm whifpers by the women, that a 



great 



