48 Life of Auduhon. 



of the Indians, and knowing that they pay little attention 

 to the approach of civilized strangers, I addressed him in 

 French, a language not unfrequently partially known to 

 the people of that neighbourhood. He raised his head, 

 pointed to one of his eyes with his finger, and gave me a 

 significant glance with the other ; his face was covered 

 with blood. 



" The fact was, that an hour before this, as he was in 

 the act of discharging an arrow at a racoon in the top of 

 a tree, the arrow had split upon the cord, and sprung back 

 with such violence into his right eye as to destroy it for 

 ever. 



" Feeling hungry, I inquired what sort of fare I might 

 expect. Such a thing as a bed was not to be seen, but 

 many large untanned bufialo hides lay piled in a corner. 

 I drew a time-piece from my pocket, and told the woman 

 that it was late, and that I was fatigued. She espied my 

 watch, the richness of which seemed to operate on her 

 feelings with electric quickness. She told me there was 

 plenty of venison and jerked buffalo meat, and that on 

 removing the ashes I should find a cake. But my watch 

 had struck her fancy, and her curiosity had to be grati- 

 fied by an immediate sight of it. I took off the gold 

 chain which secured it around my neck, and presented it 

 to her. She was all ecstasy, spoke of its beauty, asked 

 me its value, and put the chain round her brawny neck, 

 saying how happy the possession of such a watch would 

 make her. Thoughtless, and, as I fancied myself, in so 

 retired a spot, secure, I paid little attention to her talk or 

 her movements. I helped my dog to a good supper of 

 vtnison, and was not long in satisfying the demands of 

 my own appetite. 



"The Indian rose from his seat as if in extreme 

 suffering. He passed and repassed me several times, and 

 once pinched me on the side so violently, that the pain 



