164 LIVING CREATURES. 



bon, to gratify her, allowed her to take the watch and 

 to put its chain about her neck. She was greatly 

 pleased, and declared she would be the happiest woman 

 if she owned such a treasure. 



This aroused Audubon's suspicion. Then the Indian 

 passed by him and gave him a severe pinch in his side. 

 He now studied both the woman and the red man, 

 but concluded that of the two the latter was his friend. 

 After a while, for the purpose of wjnding it, he asked 

 the woman for his watch. Taking his gun, he said he 

 would go out and see what the weather promised. 

 Once outside the cabin, he slipped a bullet into his 

 rifle, scraped the flint of its lock, and primed it with 

 powder. 



Re-entering the cabin, he lay down on some bear- 

 skins in the corner, with his faithful dog by his side, 

 and soon pretended to be sound asleep. Shortly, two 

 strong young men entered, bringing the carcass of a 

 deer. They asked the mother why that rascally Indian 

 was there, when she hushed them, pointed to Audu- 

 bon in the corner, and softly spoke of the watch. All 

 this, in the glare of the firelight, the stranger could see 

 with his half-open eyes. He touched his dog, who 

 looked up and seemed to understand what was going 

 on, as if he were human. 



When the young men had eaten their supper, the 

 three drank a quantity of whisky, and the woman, 

 like a grim fiend, taking a large carving-knife, went to 

 the grindstone to whet its edge. Audubon saw her 

 pour the water on the stone and turn the crank. It 

 seemed to him that his life was in great danger, and a 

 cold sweat started over his whole frame. Having made 



