A 'CUTE EXCHANGE. 113 



are prepared for the result ? There was not such a firm 

 in existence as that of Springfield and Co., and the dupe 

 thus retrogressed to the " turning-back place of the Eng 

 lish sportsmen," I hope a wiser, but certainly a poorer 

 man than he was when he left it. 



Having listened to everything, and believed just as 

 much as I deemed necessary, I then considered the ad 

 vice I had received in the old country, and ascertained 

 that the idea of going out with " trappers " after bison or 

 buffalo was nonsensical as well as impossible at that sea 

 son of the year ; and that to attach oneself to any tribes of 

 Indians, Mr Murray's friends, the Pawnees, par excellence, 

 was as much beside the mark, and as imperfect in regard 

 to personal safety and the safety of horses and mules, as 

 the reception of a cheque on Springfield and Co. could 

 have been with a view to its money payment. The only 

 fact that gave me serious or painful consideration was, 

 that the distance and cost of my mission had been im 

 mensely underrated, and I really had no more funds at my 

 disposal than would have taken me home, and, indeed, 

 hardly those ; what then was I to do ? The question was 

 at once answered, and I resolved that it was neither con 

 sonant with my own character, nor according to the cus 

 tom of my past life, to turn back from any adventure on 

 which I had set out. I went on ; but how I achieved 

 progression inust remain for narration in the next 

 chapter. 



