82 PRAIRIE AND FOREST. 



better of it, and peace between the belligerents was 

 proclaimed for the night. 



On the morrow, however, we, partner f and self, 

 left the old camp, and started with the intention of 

 founding a settlement of our own. 



Half-an-hour before dark we reached one of the 

 prettiest camping-grounds that the eye of wearied 

 hunter ever rested on, and as the night was fine, we 

 satisfied ourself with a fire, without taking the trouble 

 to erect a wigwam of boughs. Thus far I had not 

 studied my new friend; from his manner on the 

 previous evening he undoubtedly was pluck to the 

 backbone ; not insufficiently educated, but crude 

 deucedly crude. I say this from a habit he had, namely 

 of expectorating on whatever offered a fair surface for 

 a shot, the piece of birch-bark that had been pinned up 

 at the corner to make a wash-dish, in fact, anything 

 smooth he could not resist squirting at. The first 

 time he indulged in this weakness was to deluge 

 the upper of my cowskin boot. On my angrily re- 

 monstrating, he protested that he meant no insult, 

 but simply wished to see what kind of map he made. 

 "Well, what do you make out of it?" said I, half 

 indignant, still partially appeased. 



" Why," returned he, " a map of Asia, and these 

 splashes are the Malay Archipelago ; don't you see, it 

 is as plain as a pike-staff, there is Sumatra, Java, 

 Borneo, and the Celebes; that is the Straits of 

 Malacca and those Sunda. Well, I have often thought 

 of going to them parts, for the oftener I spit the 

 more frequently I make the self-same show, clearly 

 telling that there is a opening in that county for a man 

 of intellect and energy. You are not listening, but 



