OUR Host. 85 
when we paid him the few dollars of expense incurred, he 
clutched with all the gloating of a miser, and shook with 
tremulous delight-as -he told them one by one into his greasy _ 
bag. We wanted some corn for our animals during our stay, 
and when asked for it, he denied having any to spare at first. 
This proved to be a “ruse” to raise the price, for as the mar- 
ket price was one dollar per bushel, so soon as we expressed 
our willingness to give one dollar and a half, he shrugged his 
shoulders, and very quietly said, “ Well, as blackberry come 
soon—may be so—you camhave him,” at the same time point- 
ing the way to two well filled cribs. 
The use of these berries is an evidence of the improvidence 
of the Indian, as T am told a large number depend upon them 
in a great measure; in fact, I heard one sturdy chap say, 
“ Well, I got corn till blackberry come, then may be so cure 
be d——d;” and in conversation with our host, hevsaid that 
the corn in the neighborhood was almost entirely consumed, 
and the present season promised badly, but ‘may be so dey 
git some blackberry, may be not.” This was said with an 
indifferent shrug, as if the prospect or the reality of starvation 
around him was a matter of no consequence. 
Many visitors came to the farm during our stay. All, of 
course, visited our quarters, and sat or stood around in that 
quiet manner peculiar to the Indian, and which, I think, con- 
ceals a great deal of curiosity, of which they are supposed to 
be guiltless. One, a fine looking youth, gaily dressed and 
painted, with his hair ext “a la roundhead,” had a good deal 
