DAYS IN THE WOODS 285 



curious fact that the strange conceit in " Alice 

 through the Looking-glass," where effects are 

 made to precede their causes, and the Queen cries 

 before she has pricked her finger, is actually be- 

 lieved in and recognised as a law of nature by many 

 people. Indians and half-breeds are usually very 

 shy of mentioning their superstitions, for they 

 hate ridicule. If they do speak of them, they 

 affect to laugh at them themselves. Time and 

 again I have heard Indians declare as a joke that 

 they could feel the muscles of their backs ache 

 where the withy rope cuts into them by which 

 they carry a load of moose meat, and declare that 

 it was a sure sign that a moose was shortly to die. 

 But though they affected to laugh, they in their 

 hearts believed thoroughly all they said. 



" Well, John," I said, " I hope your dream will 

 come true ; but, talking of dreams, what was that 

 story you began to tell me the other day about 

 the buUets ? " 



" Oh yes, sir, that was a very curious dream, 

 that was ; many gentlemen won't believe that 

 story, but it's true though. I was hunting with a 

 gentleman long ago — in the winter time it was — 

 and as we left the camp after breakfast, he laughed, 

 and asked me what kind of dreams I had in the 



