82 THE PRAIRIE. 



to the approach of civilized strangers (a circumstance which in some coun- 

 tries is considered as evincing the apathy of their character), I addressed 

 him in French, a language not unfrequently partially known to the people 

 in that neighbourhood. He raised his head, pointed to one of his eyes 

 with his finger, and gave me a significant glance with the other. His face 

 was covered with blood. The fact was, that an hour before this, as he 

 was in the act of discharging an arrow at a raccoon in the top of a tree, the 

 arrow had split upon the cord, and sprung back with such violence into 

 his right eye as to destroy it for ever. 



FeeUng hungry, I inquired what sort of fare I might expect. Such 

 a thing as a bed was not to be seen, but many large untanned bear and 

 buflFalo hides lay piled in a corner. I drew a fine time-piece from my 

 breast, and told the woman that it was late, and that I was fatigued. 

 She had espied my watch, the richness of which seemed to operate upon 

 her feehngs with electric quickness. She told me that there was plenty 

 of venison and jerked buffalo meat, and that on renioving the ashes I 

 should find a cake. But my watch had struck her fancy, and her curio- 

 sity had to be gratified by an immediate sight of it. I took off the gold 

 chain that secured it from around my neck, and presented it to her. She 

 was all ecstacy, spoke of its beauty, asked me its value, and put the chain 

 round her brawny neck, saying how happy the possession of such a watch 

 should make her. Thoughtless, and, as I fancied myself, in so retired a 

 spot, secure, I paid httle attention to her talk or her movements. I 

 helped my dog to a good supper of venison, and was not long in satisfy- 

 ing the demands of my own appetite. 



The Indian rose from his seat, as if in extreme suffering. He passed 

 and repassed me several times, and once pinched me on the side so vio- 

 lently, that the pain nearly brought forth an exclamation of anger. I 

 looked at him. His eye met mine ; but his look was so forbidding, that 

 it struck a chill into the more nervous part of my system. He again 

 seated himself, drew his butcher-knife from its greasy scabbard, examined 

 its edge, as I would do that of a razor suspected dull, replaced it, and 

 again taking his tomahawk from liis back, fiUed the pipe of it with tobac- 

 co, and sent me expressive glances whenever our hostess chanced to have 

 her back toward us. 



Nevei- until that moment had my senses been awakened to the 

 danger which I now suspected to be about me. I retui-ned glance for 



