Sketches From Oldest America 



brush and have become overheated." The man, 

 not being very inquisitive, accepted the explana- 

 tion and was satisfied, especially so as there was a 

 nice hot dinner awaiting him. 



So matters continued for some time. 



The real wife felt terribly over her misfortune, 

 wishing sincerely she had never coveted the other 

 woman's coat. She slowly crawled back toward 

 the camp, but, make the greatest exertion she 

 could, it was very slow work. Then, when she 

 thought she had nearly arrived at the place where 

 her husband was, he and the fraudulent wife would 

 break camp and move to a new site. It was such 

 slow work crawling; besides, the poor wife had 

 several narrow escapes from hungry birds, only 

 escaping by hiding in the crevice of a rock or 

 under a blade of grass. The season was advancing 

 and her husband would soon return to the village; 

 she must hurry or be left behind. So crawling 

 night and day, she at last reached the camp and 

 managed to crawl in among the deerskins, as they 

 were being lashed preparatory to taking them 

 home. 



On arriving in the village she could only crawl 

 around and see her friends, but no one took any 

 137 



