90 MR. BARRILL'S. PROPOSAL. 



man. Having leisure, fortune, and no encumbrances, he 

 had visited America to engage in the exciting and perilous 

 sports of the prairies a kind of life he preferred to that 

 of indolent ease. He expressed himself greatly delighted 

 with hunting on the plains, and narrated a numher of 

 adventures, as we enjoyed a social pipe. He said, how- 

 ever, that the drunken and riotous hehavior of the moun- 

 tain men at the station shocked him. One reason for his 

 singling me out for an especial friend was that I kept 

 aloof from their dissipation, and strove to save something 

 of the profits of my hunting and trapping expeditions. 



I had spent about two weeks at the station, when, one 

 evening, Mr. Barrill came into my lodge, and sat down 

 for a talk. He said he had an important proposal to 

 make. He was greatly pleased with my character, al- 

 though he had known me but a very short time. He had 

 no urgent business to call him back to England, and he 

 designed to try sporting in various parts of the world. 

 He wanted a trusty and experienced companion had 

 ample means to defray the expenses of both and if I 

 would accompany him in his travels and hunting expedi- 

 tions, he would take care that I was well provided in every 

 respect. The novelty of the proposal took me by sur- 

 prise ; but I was rather pleased with the idea. However, 

 I requested a day to consider. I reflected upon my con- 

 dition an able-bodied young hunter, without encum- 



