403 EXPEDITION TO THE 



its cradle. When, on her return to the lodge, the mother 

 saw her child in the cradle, she inquired if it had been 

 long sleeping, Shenanska replied in the affirmative. 

 Having gone nearer to the infant and discovered that it 

 was dead, although she did not observe the wound, the 

 mother instantly seized an axe, and struck a blow on She- 

 nanska's head, who fell into a swoon. The blow was not a 

 mortal one, she soon recovered from the effects of it, and 

 having determined to make her escape, succeeded in leav- 

 ing the lodge unobserved. She travelled towards the 

 lands of her countrymen, and after eleven days of a fati- 

 guing march, during which, she at one time suffered so 

 much from hunger, that she was forced to feed upon bits 

 of skin and leather, collected at a deserted encampment, 

 she found herself in sight of her native Coteau, and was flat- 

 tering herself with the hope of soon meeting with a party of 

 her friends, when she fell in with a band of Assiniboins, 

 mortal enemies to her tribe. From these she would have 

 met with instant death, had not their chief interfered in 

 her favour. By him she was treated kindly, but after re- 

 maining a day in his camp, he advised her to make 

 her escape, as otherwise she must fall a victim to the re- 

 sentment of the party. He supplied her with provisions, 

 a horse, and every thing she might require for the route. 

 Again she started on a solitary journey, which lasted forty 

 days, when she met her friends. On approaching their 

 camp, her appearance was so much altered that they knew 

 her not. Her own father hesitated in recognising her as his 

 daughter ; at last, when she spoke and mentioned her name, 

 her friends all collected around her, while she related to 

 them her adventures ; after she had finished her narrative, 

 her father seized his knife and stabbed himself, in testimony 



