i5 



instant to see that the baby had disappeared and that with- 

 out doubt the squaw had carried it off. Without asking help 

 from anyone, urged on by a mother's love, she flew in pur- 

 suit of the squaw, who redoubled her effort to escape. She 

 had almost reached her people when Madame Lajimoniere 

 seized her by the shoulder. " Give me my child," said she, 

 stopping her, " Give me my child that you have stolen." The 

 squaw did not understand the words, but she knew what the 

 gesture meant though she made believe not to understand and 

 pretended to be very much astonished, as thieves do when 

 accused. However Madame Lajimoniere opened the hood 

 that the woman had carefully closed and there was her little 

 child smiling quite happily. When the squaw saw that she 

 was discovered she pretended that she was only carrying him 

 away to play with him and made no resistance to restoring 

 him. She could hardly claim him for hers, his complexion 

 would at once betray him, so she let Madame Lajimoniere 

 take the child and for the present renounced her design of 

 bringing up a little Canadian and making him into a Black- 

 foot. 



In the spring of 1809 in spite of the sorrowful adventures 

 of the preceding summer Madame Lajmoniere again went 

 with her husband to the prairies. She was beginning to be 

 inured to hardships and the Indians frightened her less than 

 they did at first. How true it is that we become accustomed 

 to all things and in the end even attached to our misery ! But 

 as one lives one learns and Madame Lajimoniere had not yet 

 reached the end of her trials. 



Towards the end of June, the longest days of summer, 

 M. Lajimoniere being on the lookout for game, camped one 

 evening on the shore of a little lake where they passed the 

 night. The next day when he went to bring in the horses 

 they had disappeared. Had they been stolen by the Indians, 

 or had they gone a long distance in search of pasture ? No 

 one knew. Their tracks would have to be followed without 

 knowing where they would end and his wife would have to 

 be left alone in the tent with the children. 



He did not return that day and Madame Lajimoniere was 

 obliged to pass the night alone. The situation was not very 

 re-assuring. If she were attacked by wild beasts or by Indians 

 she could not expect help from any quarter. 



The next day about noon a band of savages of the Sarcee 

 tribe, armed with arrows and knives and their faces painted 



