152 TiMEHRI. 



drinks before he had finished his business. Then came 

 the buying of tools, a gun, and some beads for the 

 women's aprons, and after that some bottles of rum, 

 with which the whole party retired to the shed where 

 their hammocks were slung, and got drunk. Peter saw 

 a great many novelties, ships and steamers on the river, 

 a railway train, steam sawmills, and a number of large 

 buildings, but he felt little interest in them. They were 

 nothing to him except jarring nuisances, from which he 

 was glad to get away as soon as possible. 



As yeais passed on Peter became an old man. He 

 was still however strong and wiry and his hair black and 

 thick, as it had ever been. Like all the Indians he did 

 not expe6l death as a matter of course. He had ene- 

 mies of course, both natural and supernatural, and they 

 might injure him at any time. After a very severe 

 famine, when day after day passed and nothing but a 

 few bitter greenheart seeds could be procured, a season of 

 plenty followed, and the whole community feasted to their 

 hearts' content. Among the rest Peter gorged himself 

 as he had often done before, but this time he became 

 very sick The Peaiman came and tried his best, but the 

 enemy was too strong, and notwithstanding every effort 

 the poor fellow died. His wife mourned his loss and the 

 other women joined with her in extolling his virtues. 

 He had been a mighty hunter and skilful fisherman ; 

 there had been always plenty of meat for the barbecue 

 and pepper pot, but now these would be bare and empty. 

 A grave was dug in the floor of his house, and in it was 

 placed the remains of poor PETER, with a number of his 

 belongings, including a bow and arrows and a blow-pipe. 

 He would still hunt and shoot in the spirit world, and 



