BIVOUAC STORY OF THE MOCCASINS. 141 



his moccasins to take a stone out, when he said that it 

 reminded him of something that had happened to him a 

 long time ago when he was a child. I was already- 

 covered up in my blanket, but finding that he had a 

 mind to talk, I roused up, gave the fire a poke that made 

 the sparks fly, and leaning back, with Bearsgrease for a 

 pillow, who seemed well pleased with the arrangement, 

 I waited the commencement of his narrative. 



When I got up, Conwell stopped ; but now passing his 

 hand over his face, he began : 



" I was between five and six years old when my father 

 made my first pair of moccasins, for he was a very good 

 shoemaker, and had always made strong shoes for chil- 

 dren, though he himself always wore moccasins ; but, at 

 my earnest, repeated request, he made a pair for me, 

 and warned me particularly not to lose them. On this 

 same day a peddler had been in the house, and had per- 

 suaded my fathe/to buy a pair of large boots, as very ser- 

 viceable for bad weather ; and as it had rained a great 

 deal lately, he put them on, took his rifle, and sallied forth 

 to the forest. He was hardly gone when I wished to wear 

 my new moccasins ; and, to my horror, found that one 

 was missing. In vain I searched the house from top to 

 bottom ; it was gone, and the other seemed to be there 

 only to remind me of my loss, and the punishment await- 

 ing me. With a beating heart I saw my father return 

 earlier than I had expected, out of humor with the bad 

 weather and bad sport ; and he asked roughly why I 

 was running about barefoot. With tears in my eyes I told 

 him that I could not find one of the moccasins, and that 

 I thought the cat must have run off with it. He said he 



