348 THE TEAPPEE. 



when she returned next day for another infant Dorking, 

 human nature could stand it no longer, and I slew her 

 there and then. 



There is a black variety of the red squirrel very rarely 

 seen, which has given rise to the following Indian legend : 

 It seems that in the old times of flint arrow-heads and 

 birch-bark kettles, when the Micmacs were a great and 

 powerful race, living at peace in their villages along the 

 coast of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, a boy of the tribe, one 

 Jenem, caught this black squirrel this apple of discord 

 in the woods of New Brunswick. He showed it to his 

 father, to the old men of his tribe, to the grand totem 

 himself; but not one of them knew what it was, though 

 they all agreed that it was " bad medicine " and told the 

 youth to let it go. Boy-like, however, though Indian, he 

 thought he was wiser than his elders, and put no faith in 

 medicine; so, instead of doing as he was told and letting 

 his captive go, he took him up country to a Mohawk camp 

 as a present to the object of his young affections, a 

 Mohawk lass. There was, however, a rival in the case, 

 a ferocious young Mohawk, who had no idea of being cut 

 out by a fish-eating Micmac not he ! This wily savage 

 met our young friend on the road, entered into conversa- 

 tion with him, came to the conclusion that the black 

 squirrel was " good medicine," then treacherously stabbed 

 his rival, and presented the squirrel to the fair one. 

 Whether he prospered in his suit, history does not relate ; 

 but, and this is a matter beyond all doubt, there was a 

 terrible uproar in consequence, and many a Mohawk was 

 sent to the happy hunting grounds. 



