186 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT. 



II. 



Supper over, and clenched by a pull at Nathan's 

 Avhisky-flask, we prepared for departure. The Ameri- 

 cans threw the choicest parts of the buck over their 

 shoulders, and the old squatter again taking the lead, 

 we resumed our march. The way led us first across 

 a prairie, then through a wood, which was succeeded 

 by a sort of thicket, upon the branches and thorny 

 shrubs of which we left numerous fragments of our 

 dress. We had walked several miles almost in si- 

 lence, when Nathan suddenly made a pause, and 

 let the butt-end of his rifle fall heavily on the 

 ground. I took the opportunity to ask him where 

 we were. 



"In Louisiana," replied he, "between the Red 

 River, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Mississippi ; on 

 French ground, and yet in a country where French 

 power is worth little. Do you see that ? " added he 

 suddenly, seizing my arm, and pulling me a few 

 paces aside, while he pointed to a dark object, that at 

 the distance and in the moonlight had the appear- 

 ance of an earthen wall. " Do you know what that 

 is ? " repeated the squatter. 



" An Indian grave, perhaps," replied I. 



"A grave it is," was the answer ; " but not of the 

 Redskins. As brave a backwoodsman as ever crossed 

 the Mississippi lies buried there. You are not alto- 



