Adventure on the Prairie, 



47 



although well moccasined, I moved slowly along, attracted 

 by the brilliancy of the flowers, and the gambols of the 

 fawns around their dams, to all appearance as thoughtless 

 of danger as I felt myself. 



" My march was of long duration. I saw the sun 

 sinking beneath the horizon long before I could perceive 

 any appearance of woodlands, and nothing in the shape of 

 man had I met with that day. The track which I fol- 

 lowed was only an old Indian trail, and as darkness 

 overshadowed the prairie, I felt some desire to reach at 

 least a copse, in which I might lie down to rest. The 

 night-hawks were skimming over and around me, 

 attracted by the buzzing wings of the beetles which 

 form their food, and the distant howling of the wolves 

 gave me some hope that I should soon arrive at the skirts 

 of some woodland. 



" I did so, and almost at the same instant a fire-light 

 attracting my eye, I moved towards it, full of confidence 

 that it proceeded from the camp of some wandering 

 Indians. I was mistaken. I discovered by its glare that 

 it was from the hearth of a small log cabin, and that a 

 tall figure passed and repassed between it and me, as if 

 busily engaged in household arrangements. 



" I reached the spot, and presenting myself at the 

 door, asked the tall figure, which proved to be a woman, 

 if I might take shelter under her roof for the night 1 Her 

 voice was gruff, and her dress negligently thrown about 

 her. She answered in the afiirmative. I walked in, took 

 a wooden stool, and quietly seated myself by the fire. 

 The next object that attracted my notice was a finely 

 formed young Indian, resting his head between his hands, 

 with his elbows on his knees. A long bow rested against 

 the log wall near him, while a quantity of arrows and two 

 or three racoon skins lay at his feet. He moved not. ; 

 he apparently breathed not. Accustomed to the habits 



