36 LIFE OF AUDUBON. 



Such a thing as a bed was not to be seen, but many large 

 untanned bear and buffalo hides lay piled in a corner. I drew a 

 time-piece from my pocket, and told the woman that it was 

 late, and that I was fatigued. She espied my watch, the 

 richness of which seemed to operate on her feelings with 

 electric quickness. She told me there was plenty of venison 

 and jerked buffalo meat, and that on removing the ashes I 

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

 her curiosity had to be gratified by an immediate sight of it. 

 I took off the gold chain which secured it around my neck, and 

 presented it to her. She was all ecstasy, 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 would make 

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

 secure, I paid little attention to her talk or her movements. I 

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

 satisfying 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 violently, 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 his back, filled the pipe of it with 

 tobacco, and sent me expressive glances whenever our hostess 

 chanced to have her back towards us. 



" Never until that moment had my senses been awakened to 

 the danger which I now suspected to be about me. I returned 

 glance for glance to my companion, and rested well assured 

 that whatever enemies I might have, he was not of their 

 number. 



" I asked the woman for my watch, wound it up, and under 

 pretence of wishing to see how the weather might probably 

 be on the morrow, took up my gun, and walked out of the 

 cabin. I slipped a ball into each barrel, scraped the edges of my 

 flints, renewed the primings, and returning to the hut, gave a 

 favourable account of my observations. I took a few bear-skins. 



