292 TKAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT. 



trough, made out of a fragment of a hollow tree, with 

 hoards nailed across the ends. In these receptacles, 

 to judge by the loud snoring that proceeded from 

 them, the family of the tavern-keeper were enjoying 

 a deep and uninterrupted repose. The walls of the 

 apartment were of unhewn tree-trunks, varied only 

 by broad stripes of clay filling the interstices. 



On a stool in front of the fire sat the man who had 

 first entered, a blood-stained blanket thrown over his 

 whole person, concealing both figure and face. Be- 

 hind him about twenty Indians squatted upon the 

 clay floor, their legs crossed, their faces shrouded 

 in their blankets, the crimson spots upon which 

 seemed to indicate that the expedition whence they 

 returned had been other than a peaceful one. Not- 

 withstanding the presence of these strange guests, the 

 master of the block-house now busied himself with 

 putting in order the stools and benches which the 

 intruders, upon their entrance, had unceremoniously 

 knocked over, and this he did with as cool and sturdy 

 an air as if his nocturnal visitors had been friends 

 and neighbours, instead of a troop of savages on their 

 return from some bloody foray, and who might, as 

 likely as not, add his scalp and those of his family 

 to the other trophies of their expedition. When he 

 had put the last stool in its place, he sat himself 

 down next to the Indian who appeared the chief of 

 the band. 



After the lapse of about a minute, the latter raised 



